


The Master on the Mountain

by Ninebubble



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Historical, Angst, Angsty SeKai, BaldSoo, Demons, Dragons, Everybody loves Kyungsoo, Fantasy, Fighting, Journey to the West - Freeform, Kissing, M/M, Martial Arts, Master & Padawan Relationship(s), Mild Smut, Minor SeKai, River Spirit, Sex, Smut, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-06
Updated: 2018-10-06
Packaged: 2019-03-27 14:51:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 22,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13883157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ninebubble/pseuds/Ninebubble
Summary: Shaolin Monk x Daoist Master AUKyungsoo is sent to the Master on the Mountain to complete his training and learn Daoism, which unlocks secret powers most useful in fighting the occasional demon, and more.But he's probably not as ready as he thinks he is, and in any case he has to get there first, which means crossing paths with river spirits, banished gods, young dragons and monkey kings.[Loosely based on The Journey To The West]





	1. Prologue : Leaves From The Tree

**Author's Note:**

> Was this inspired by Kyungsoo's bald head ?
> 
> Yes. Yes it was.

 

 **

 

 

Master and apprentice walked across the Monastery courtyard in respectful silence. The younger waited patiently for his master to give him a signal, and the older waited only for the first leaf of the great Ginkgo tree to fall. This would mark the beginning of autumn, of a new cycle, and that was the only time the master ever spoke.

 

There were many masters at the monastery, some to teach fist-fighting and others to teach stick-fighting, some to teach meditation and others to teach the sacred way of writing, but only master Wu taught the way of silence, and only to the most advanced students. Kyungsoo was one of those not through talent, but because of his persistence and hard work. Many came with a gift for a certain area of study and no patience for those where they did not excel. Kyungsoo excelled at none, and kept at each steadily while the others grew frustrated and gave up. He had never given up, and in that way he had mastered one by one all of the sacred arts. Master Wu had noticed this and sent for him one soft winter morning. Since then, they had spent long hours of every day simply observing whatever the master deemed necessary, whether the playful movement of shadow on stone, or the patterns of the birds aloft in the morning light, or the flow of water through the temple gardens.

 

Kyungsoo sat down with the master on a stone bench in a ray of sunlight, and together they watched the great tree, whose leaves had been yellow for fifteen days. They watched for a long time in the stillness of afternoon, until a soft breeze playing about the top branches lifted on its course one small golden leaf.

 

As the leaf floated slowly down, master Wu sighed deeply. He turned to Kyungsoo just as it touched the ground and, eyes full of a tender smile that never reached his lips, he said simply,

 

 

"You are ready."

 

 

The apprentice bowed his head in gratitude, and received on his crown one soft kiss from master Wu, the most respected sage at the monastery. There was only one above him in the world, and Kyungsoo had now been deemed worthy of seeking this last master out and completing the last step of his training. He had practiced for years to reach this point, and he knew that he would represent the monastery well when he met the master on the mountain.

 

He rose, bowed again to the old man whose attention had returned to the Gingko tree as he waited for the second leaf to fall, and pausing only to pick up the first Gingko leaf as a token to bring the mysterious master, he went to pack his belongings. These were few, only a staff and a cape to shield him from the weather as he climbed higher into the mountains. Master Lu gave him a map to help him get to the area where he might find the last master, and the cooks in the kitchen gave him a satchel full of food to make the first days of his journey easier.

 

Simple goodbyes were said to those monks he considered his friends, and the next morning before dawn he left through the front gate, which he hadn't crossed in years. The road wound up into the foothills before him, shrouded in the mist of early morning. Sunlight painted the very highest peaks pure gold, but the rest of the world was still dark and asleep. He took a deep breath of cold air and set off without turning back.

 

 

 

**


	2. The River Spirit

 

**

 

 

 

It was mid-morning when Kyungsoo stopped by the side of a river to rest and eat a little bit. He was used to fasting, but he knew that he must conserve his strength for the journey, which would take him high into the mountains before he even found the famed master, and if a trial awaited him as it probably did, he would need to meet it head on. He breathed in the fresh air, smiling, before seating himself on a small rock, part of a larger outcropping, and examining the contents of his bag. He was happy to find that the kitchen had given him many rations of way-bread, and he ate a big piece of it as he watched the morning light playing in the cheerful waters of the mountain torrent. It seemed deep, its bed hidden by the rushing current. He looked up at the ranges towering over him, and saw a sliver of white that might be the source of this stream. This meant the water would be fresh and clean, and he wouldn't need to drink from his own pouch just yet. If he were lucky, the path would wind its way by the side of the river. Vital considerations aside, he enjoyed the sound of the running water. It helped him focus and seemed like a friend. Long hours of silent retreat at the Monastery had taught him to find solace in solitude and the simple presence of the world around him. He could invoke this power whenever he needed, but it always came easiest when he was by a river.

 

He remembered little of his life before the Monastery, only three details standing out in the fog of his childhood. There had been strong arms holding him. There had been the smell of smoke. And there had been the comforting quiet of the river where he had been found. Everything else was a blur of emotions and pain. He shook himself slightly. It had been a long time before he had escaped the iron fist of the past, with help from the monks and hours of meditation. He was free now, and no longer woke screaming in the night, but the pull of suffering made itself known every now and then, when he was tired or when the moon was dark. Whenever it happened, he meditated by running waters and the calm of the world settled on him again.

He smiled at the current as if it were a life-long friend, and bent down to dip his hand in for a drink. No sooner had he breached the surface than a rumble sounded around him. He straightened, drink forgotten, raising his staff to meet whatever was coming.

 

The waters upstream swelled as the rumble grew louder, and before he knew it, the wave reached the bank where he was standing, leaving in its wake a man with a staff of his own and a string of nine skulls around his neck. This threatening detail and his frown were counteracted by the softness of his features. His dark hair cut a sharp contrast against his pale skin, still shining from the water, his mouth pouted a little bit and his cheeks were rather round.

But his demeanour wasn't peaceful, and Kyungsoo readied himself for a fight. Although this would be his first real combat, he had confidence in his years of training.

His fingers curled around his staff. He breathed deeply, looking for the first signs of movement from his opponent who was still carefully examining him.

 

He moved so suddenly that Kyungsoo almost missed the slight shift announcing his attack, but he brought his weapon up in time to parry the assault. He parried a few more hard knocks before he felt sure enough of his footing to retaliate. He pressed forward and saw the surprise on his opponent's face, which had only shown rage and determination until then. A particularly forceful blow threw them apart panting, and the other spoke for the first time.

 

"Who are you ?" His voice was higher and softer than Kyungsoo expected.

"I'm a monk from the Monastery."

"Ah," said his opponent with a smile, "Then you must know my friends." He ran his hand along the necklace of skulls, producing an odd clinking sound. "You monks are very musical. But you have a bad habit of trying to drink from my river."

Kyungsoo's foot met the side of his face so fast that he was taken off guard, but he didn't seem to be very hurt and thus, the fight resumed. Though a blow occasionally connected here and there, they were evenly matched. But Kyungsoo was angry now, and that fuelled him so that he didn't feel the fatigue even when the other was beginning to pant. The opponent's attacks slowed until he was only defending, and backed into a corner. Soon, he threw his staff down and cowered on the ground.

 

"Mercy, mercy !"

 

Kyungsoo stood over him, unsure of what to do. He was still angry at the quip about the skulls, but it seemed too cold-hearted to kill him like this. As he was hesitating, the man on the ground looked up and threw a handful of sand in his eyes. The monk backed away, blinded and disoriented, leaving the other free to jump up and seize his staff, attacking Kyungsoo's flank. The sharp blow connected, winding the young man. He heard a triumphant laugh and instinctively lurched forward with his own staff. The river guardian was caught off guard by this desperate move, and his own stumble was enough for Kyungsoo to paw at the sand in his eyes and regain his sight.

 

"You're a better fighter than our friends were, Monk," said the man, his tone light despite the pain obvious on his face.

"I've trained for years," replied Kyungsoo as they circled each other warily. "Unlike the ones you killed, who must have been simple novices."

"I'm not sure about that. This one gave me a nasty bump on the head," he admitted, pointing to the first skull. "I can't even remember my own name."

"We monks call that Karma."

At this, the man started laughing. The effect on his features was most pleasant, and his youth shone through. Kyungsoo saw the ghost of a light-hearted person behind the necklace of skulls and combative attitude. He saw a trace of the truth of his being and all of sudden, he knew his opponent's name. He smiled as he realized what a bargaining chip he had found, and as the combat resumed he was slightly less careful, his brain going into overdrive as he tried to figure out how to best use it.

 

"So you're the river guardian ?" He threw out between two blows.

"I am, and you've doomed yourself by coming near my river."

"I bet you weren't always doing this, though."

 

A flash of annoyance passed over the other's face. "Are monks even allowed to bet ?" He asked, aiming a skilful attack at Kyungsoo's shins, who avoided it easily by jumping into the air and responding in kind. "Don't you live lives of purity and staring into space like fish ?"

 

Just as he spoke, Kyungsoo twirled and caught his left arm with the tip of his staff, earning a yelp of pain from the guardian.

 

He smirked. "How's that for a fish ?"

 

"I'll admit you're better at fighting than most who come through," answered the man, taking a few steps back before crouching into a defensive stance. Seeing an opening, Kyungsoo launched himself at his opponent, staff raised. But the other was expecting this, and met him sooner than the monk had anticipated with his own blow. He was thrown against the outcropping of rocks and fell to the ground.

 

"I think you broke something," he groaned as he pushed himself up.

 

"Then your skull is mine, Monk. Well fought. I might make you into a hat, you deserve better than getting added to this necklace" he declared, stepping closer to Kyungsoo and pulling out a sharp knife that glinted in the sunlight.

 

"Wait," he panted. "I have something of value."

 

"I don't care for treasure," the man answered easily, kneeling down and grasping Kyungsoo's neck. He was bringing the knife to his throat when the monk whispered :

 

"What about your name ? Is that treasure enough ?"

The guardian froze.

"Let me go and I'll give you your name back."

"You don't know my name," he said quickly, but there was uncertainty dancing in his eyes.

Kyungsoo smiled. "I saw it earlier, when you laughed."

Rising, he staggered a few feet back.

"You have the art of name-seeing ?"

The monk stood with difficulty to face him and nod. There was no need to admit that he'd only received the most basic of training in this sacred art, and that the master on the mountain was going to help him to its mastery.

"You've studied under Chen ? You've been to the Highest Master ?" The opponent's voice filled with wonder.

"I'm headed there now," replied Kyungsoo carefully.

 

A strange expression took over the guardian's face. It seemed as though hesitation, regret, fear and hope were battling for control over his feelings, and it would have been funny but for the dull throbbing in Kyungsoo's back. This internal war waged for a few minutes before the man finally lowered his staff and said simply :

 

"Sorry for attacking you."

"That's alright," smiled the monk.

Another conflict seemed to tear him apart before he finally asked, rather sheepishly "Please don't tell the Master ?"

 

Kyungsoo nodded, a hand still resting on his aching back. Noticing this, the guardian came a step closer.

"I can heal that, if you want. Make it up to you ?" He gave him a tentative smile.

"That sounds good. I haven't been this sore since my novice days," said the monk. He followed him back to riverbank where he waited while the guardian dove into the stream. He resurfaced shortly, holding a handful of green algae. Motioning Kyungsoo to lie on his stomach, he blew on the plant, rubbed it between his palms and applied it to the area of the monk's back that was blooming in a delicate bruise. Warmth seeped into the skin beneath it, and Kyungsoo sighed happily.

 

"You know.." began the guardian, "this is a good strong back you have." He massaged slowly downward. The monk shifted, the feeling of comfort slowly morphing into something different as the other's hands brushed over his lower back.

 

"It should be," he answered. "I've been training for years."

"Doesn't sound like much fun," was the innocent remark.

"It's not about fun. It's about bettering ourselves."

"So you never have any.. fun ?" This time, there was something suspicious about the guardian's tone.

"What kind of fun ?"

"Do you monks never.. experiment ?" The hands travelled lower still.

"What kind of -"

Kyungsoo gasped as one hand left his back and seized his length all of sudden. He hadn't noticed himself growing harder, but the massage had certainly been effective.

"I can help with that," smirked the other.

"Why ?"

He shrugged. "You're handsome, I owe you one. Isn't that enough ?"

 

Kyungsoo eyed him warily, wondering if it was a trap, but the hand on him started moving slowly up and down, and his worries vanished in the waves of pleasure that began to wash over him in ways he hadn't felt for a long time. The guardian smiled again and lowered himself over Kyungsoo, keeping the rhythm steady as he licked his lips and finally, eliciting an appreciative moan from the monk, took him in his mouth.

 

 

Hours later, Kyungsoo rose and gathered his clothes, waking the river guardian. He pulled on his layers, picked up his satchel and his staff, and turned to the still naked figure lying on the riverbank.

 

"Goodbye, Monk," said the guardian simply.

 

Kyungsoo smiled. "Goodbye, Suho."

 

 

 

**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What am I doing
> 
> They fight
> 
> then they fuck 
> 
> Nothing makes sense but I'm having a Sooho moment and idk why.


	3. The Nine-Toothed Rake

 

 

**

 

 

 

 

As his journey took him higher into the mountains, Kyungsoo was pleased to find that the path kept to the river, winding along a ravine with the steep cliffs rising on either side. It was easy walking, but the monk wondered how drastic the change in incline would be when he started going up. The way stayed rather flat for a day and a half before suddenly becoming much steeper when it reached a waterfall. His staff became very useful as he climbed, and despite his training he was out of breath when he reached the next plateau.

 

Here, the path deviated from the river into a wider valley strewn about with trees. It would be pleasant walking in their shade, but he would miss the river's company. This thought didn't slow him down. He walked purposefully forth, examining his surroundings attentively.

Who knew what threat this new environment might hold ? Though the encounter with the water spirit had ended well (Kyungsoo smiled has he remembered the other's nimble fingers working him open and pleasuring him to his climax), it had come so early in his journey that it seemed unlikely it wouldn't be followed by worse. The mountains were said to be teeming with demons. The monk breathed deeply in and out, determined to stay aware of his surroundings so that nothing would surprise him. But the memory of Suho kept returning, bringing with it new smiles. Such physicality had never been explicitly forbidden at the monastery, but it was understood to be something that was abandoned during the progression of training, a matter of youth and inexperience that deepened spirituality would disregard.

Kyungsoo and the novices that were his age had experimented when they were younger. He remembered a tall apprentice named Yifan with whom he had spent many sleepless nights, discovering each other's bodies and building an intimacy that went deeper than friendship. But Yifan was only training to fight, and when a lord came to the monastery looking for a bodyguard he had been immediately selected. They had said their goodbyes and Kyungsoo hadn't wanted to be with anyone else in such a way. Since then, he had known very little of pleasure and sex, until the river spirit.

 

Lost in his memories, he failed to immediately notice that there seemed to be someone walking slightly behind him. He trained his ears on the sound. The footsteps couldn't more than a hundred yards behind him, he thought, and their pace was easy. He was not being chased, but the stranger might be waiting for an opportune moment to attack. Kyungsoo scanned his environment. He knew that he who chose where the fight would happen had the upper hand, and he was determined to get it. The footsteps behind him were heavy and betrayed a large opponent.

He soon decided that a grove of bamboo hiding a bend in the road further off would be a good place to quickly hide and take stock of the stranger.

 

But this was counting without the stranger's pace, which had quickened while he planned. Kyungsoo held his breath, not daring to go faster even as the footsteps neared him. He gripped his staff and breathed deep, trying to reach the place of inner calm that would help him foresee the demon's movements.

 

He jumped when a friendly call interrupted his concentration.

 

"Hello there !"

 

The monk turned, a bewildered look upon his face, only to find a very human and very handsome young man walking up to him. He had dark eyebrows and striking eyes. His light smile pulled up one of the corners of his mouth more than the other, and the light blue silk hanfu he wore hid a slender frame.

 

Though Kyungsoo didn't answer, he continued easily.

 

"I recognized you for a monk from behind, with that shaved head and your simple dress."

 

The monk looked at him further, trying to detect traces of a demonic nature. But the stranger's face was pleasantly youthful and innocent.

 

"I'm Minseok," he declared. "What's your name ?"

 

"Kyungsoo." They bowed slightly and Minseok resumed his chatter as they walked.

 

"How nice to meet you. I'm walking to Feng village. There's a girl there who is said to be prettier than the goddess of the moon. How about you ?"

 

The monk pondered whether to tell his companion the truth. He felt a slight twinge of guilt for lying to Suho about the master on the mountain, and deciding it would best to be careful, he answered simply :

 

"I've finished my training at the monastery, so I'm going to further it elsewhere."

 

"Ah. Then you must be going to see the Master on the Mountain ?"

 

This caught Kyungsoo by surprise, and he nodded silently. Minseok continued :

 

"I still remember last time I fought him. The bruises took months to disappear."

 

This odd declaration wasn't comforting to the monk, whose grip on his staff tightened again in preparation for a fight. Seeing this, the other laughed.

 

"Don't worry. Since you're going to see him, I won't eat you. It's a shame though, you looked rather tasty from behind."

 

"Eat me ?!" Squeaked Kyungsoo.

 

"And since I'm not going to eat you, I can give this glamour up," added the other without paying attention to the monk's distress. A shimmer surrounded his delicate form and lovely face, and when it dissipated he was replaced by a tall, thick man with a pig's nose and ears, a big nine-toothed rake sticking out above his shoulder. The demon sighed in relief and rubbed his neck.

 

"This is not such a nice appearance as my other one, but it's so much less tiring. In this skin you can call me Pigsy, by the way."

 

He gave Kyungsoo another smile, where a ghost of his human beauty was visible. The monk stared.

 

"So you are a demon after all !" He exclaimed.

 

"A demon ? Yes, I guess I am technically a demon," pondered the pig. "But this isn't my true form."

 

"Then why is it less tiring to maintain ?"

 

"Because it's a curse. I don't have a choice. The skin you met me in is my real appearance, the one I had before I got banished from Heaven."

 

Kyungsoo frowned.

 

"Why would you get banished if you didn't act like a demon ?"

 

"They have really strict rules up there," he answered with pig-like shrug. "But it's a little bit ridiculous to have a thousand barrels of heavenly wine at a feast and then expect people to drink moderately and behave, don't you think ?"

 

"I guess," replied the monk. He was still suspicious of his walking companion, although there was no sign of physical threat. And after all, he had said that he wouldn't eat him.

 

"The night I got banished was a night to remember," said the pig with a sigh. "All of Heaven was there. I forgot why we were feasting - there's always something or other going on - but it's rare when everyone comes. It must have been in honour of the Jade Emperor. Whatever it was, the goddess of the moon was there that night. Tell me, Monk, do you learn of her at your monasteries, here on earth ?"

 

Kyungsoo cast about in his memories of lore learning. Nothing stuck out other than the general description of breathtaking beauty, and he shook his head.

 

"Then there's little I could say to make you understand how beautiful she is." This was immediately followed by a lengthy description of the moon goddess's pale hair and ethereal features.

 

"And her eyes ! Ah, monk, her eyes... They are the shape of a single young bamboo leaf, and they shine brighter than the sun."

 

A soft expression swept over the pig's features as he spoke of her, turning to sadness as he ended.

 

"I've been in love with her for many lifetimes of men. It's an unhappy love, and that got the better of me at that feast. When one drinks, the unhappy feelings take hold. I was sipping heavenly wine when she walked into the room..."

 

Kyungsoo nodded. His companion required very little conversation as he told his story.

 

"Have you ever been in love ?" He asked suddenly, startling the monk.

 

"I - no.." But he stopped himself even as he spoke, remembering Yifan. Had that been love ? "I'm not sure," he answered simply.

 

"Then you haven't known the powerful need to possess the object of your love."

 

"That's not love," answered the monk quietly. It was the pig's turn to be surprised.

 

"What ?"

 

"Wanting to possess the moon goddess isn't loving her."

 

The pig frowned. "What do you mean ?"

 

"It's lust. It's not love."

 

"How would you know ?" He growled. "How do you know what love is ?"

 

"I don't know love, but I know lust, demon. You didn't love the moon goddess. You just lusted after her."

 

"I think I will eat you after all. You talk too much," declared the pig as his frown deepened. He reached for his rake, which he had strapped to his back, showing off the thick muscles on his arms as he did so. But before he knew it, Kyungsoo's staff connected with the side of his head, throwing him to the ground several feet back.

 

Taking advantage of his temporary incapacitation, the monk broke into a run. He knew he had no chance against the pig demon, who was much taller and heavier than him, and who wielded a nine-toothed rake. He had read of such an artefact in the oldest volumes of the monastery's library, a rake made by the Five Emperors of the Five Regions that possessed the ability to disintegrate souls. This enemy was too formidable for him.

 

There was no sound of a chase as he veered off the path and into the undergrowth, but he only stopped once he was out of breath and had reached the deepest thicket he could find. He climbed a tree and hid in its foliage until he was sure that the demon wasn't following him.

 

As he waited he noticed a bird looking at him with a mocking expression. It seemed to be laughing at him for his cowardice, and Kyungsoo couldn't help himself.

 

"The wise man said : 'He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot will be victorious'," he whispered to the bird who gave a disinterested caw and flew away.

 

"Stupid bird," muttered Kyungsoo as he readied himself to spend a night in a tree. When he finished his training with the Master on the Mountain, he'd come back for the pig, he decided as he drifted off to sleep.

 

 

 

 

**

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This might kind of hard to believe since I made him a pig-demon but Minseok is actually my main bias.. 
> 
>  
> 
> ....although really, when speaking of EXO, what even is a bias list ? I basically just have a list of bias wreckers at this point.
> 
>  
> 
> I still have no idea what's happening here btw. I'm just kinda feeling this AU so uh... it is what it is.


	4. The Young Dragon

 

 

**

 

 

 

The moon was shining when Kyungsoo woke with a start, almost falling from his tree branch in the process. Though he usually had very few dreams, his sleep had been filled with images of Yifan and Suho melding together into one person that called to him from afar. There had been another presence too, one he could only feel, warm and yet slightly unnerving. It had been coming towards him through a thicket of trees, and just as it stopped in front of him to reveal itself, he had awoken.

He blinked, taking in his surroundings and realizing that there was noise coming from further away. It was moving nearer to his tree so that he would certainly be discovered if he stayed any longer. Rising soundlessly, he slid down the tree's trunk and paused only a second to try and make out who or what the noise might be coming from.

 

"Blasted monk, my ear is still ringing," came in a deep, rather piggy voice. Kyungsoo took that as his cue to disappear in the opposite direction, which he immediately did as quietly as he could.

 

The night was turning to grey morning when he finally crept out of the line of trees and into a field of tall grass. He hadn't heard anything more from the pig-demon, but it still felt a little dangerous to be out in the open. He stood still, pondering. There was an outcropping of rocks in the distance that he could reach fairly quickly. If he stayed low until then, he had a good chance of going unseen. And once he reached it, he might be able to sit and have breakfast. His stomach gave a hopeful growl, which moved him forward in a half-crouch across the field.

 

"My thighs are not going to thank my later," he thought as he went.

 

They were starting to burn from the exercise of walking in such a position, but his training had taught him to value even the most uncomfortable situation. Pain was proof of his existence. When he reached the rocks an hour later, his existence was making itself felt rather too intensely, and he was very relieved to sit down in their shade, well hidden from the forest at his back. The outcropping was composed of one huge rock, or one tiny hill depending on perspective, the size of a small castle, surrounded by smaller boulders that seemed to have been chipped off the main one. Three larger stones stood close to it forming a diagonal line that pointed towards the furthest side of the valley, to the highest peak he had seen yet.

He sat himself at the foot of one of these and pulled some way-bread from his satchel, munching on it happily. He was a little tired from the short night and the escape that had interrupted his sleep. It seemed unlikely that the pig demon would have followed him here, and it seemed like a very good idea to take a nap once he had finished eating. He was barely drifting off when movement on the biggest rock startled him awake. He sighed deeply. What now ?

 

He rose delicately, and taking his staff with him, moved forward. There was nothing to be seen, but he could he hear an odd sort of scratching coming from the tiny hill. Creeping from rock to rock, staying hidden, he got as close as he dared. As there was no sign of a threat he kept going until he had reached the top of the mound. From here he could see the line of trees in the distance, perfectly still and a little hazy from a light morning fog. But to his surprise, there was a dip in the hill before him, and here a young dragon was curled on itself. There were traces of gold on his face, and Kyungsoo knew this could mean only one thing. The dragon was crying.

 

He stilled at the top of the hill, uncertain of how to proceed. He had never met a dragon, and while he had heard of people surviving such encounters, he had also heard many gruesome stories. This however was a young beast, and in a vulnerable state. He would be able to defend himself if the situation turned sour.

 

Crouching down to a less imposing position, Kyungsoo lowered his staff and cleared his throat lightly.

 

"Hello, dragon."

 

The dragon's snout immediately turned and he was caught in the spell of the deep golden eyes. There were still tears falling, creating streaks of gold along its face. Its scales were a vivid red and he seemed very large for such a young dragon. The only sign of its age were the moustaches, which hadn't manifested yet, indicating that he was no more than a hundred years old.

 

There was silence as the dragon and the monk stared at each other, perfectly still. Kyungsoo didn't dare to move, and tried to keep as calm as possible. Being caught in a dragon's gaze was dangerous, and he felt the hypnotizing pull of the beast. There was no doubt in his mind that if the dragon were older, he would have been completely lost. But the magical influence hadn't reached its full potency, and after a few seconds of fighting it, the monk overcame the temptation of offering himself up.

The dragon seemed to sense that he had no power over the man, but also that there was no immediate threat to his life. He gave a small disinterested snort before turning his back to Kyungsoo.

 

The monk took this as a good sign and spoke again.

 

"Are you alright ?"

 

There was no answer from the beast, and the odd scratching sound resumed. This, realized Kyungsoo, was the sound of a sniffling dragon.

 

"I heard that dragons cry golden tears, but I thought that was a myth."

 

Silence.

 

"They're very beautiful. Human tears are much less interesting."

 

"Go away," answered the dragon in a deep tone which held no bite, only defeat and sadness.

 

"You haven't grown your moustaches yet, have you ?"

 

Silence.

 

"What is such a young dragon doing so far away from his den ?"

 

He expected to have to keep asking, but to his surprise the dragon suddenly sighed and turned mournful eyes back on him. The air around him started to shimmer and all of a sudden, a human about his own age stood before Kyungsoo. He was tall and wide-shouldered with flaming red hair and oddly large, rather dragonish ears. His eyes still held an air of sorrow as he walked up to Kyungsoo. They stared at each other and the dragon in his human form sighed again before sitting down on the ground. The monk sat down beside him.

 

"I got exiled," said the dragon after a while.

 

Kyungsoo stayed silent, sensing that his companion was not finished.

 

"It was an accident."

 

"What did you do ?" Asked the monk softly.

 

"We dragons.. when we're young sometimes it's a little hard to control ourselves. Did you know that, human ?"

 

Kyungsoo shook his head.

 

"You seem to know a lot about us. Well, you'll know now that fire is a difficult element to control. Sometimes it escapes us." He sighed again, and put his face in his hands. As he bent, Kyungsoo saw that a line of scales remained on his spine. It seemed that even transforming completely was a difficult task. He felt a surge of sympathy for the dragon.

 

"It escaped me in my father's palace. I.. I burned his treasure room down."

 

More tears started falling. Despite his human form, they remained golden, bringing a delicate shine to the youthful face. The morning sun caught them, causing a lovely glitter that reflected around the dip in which they were seated.

 

"My brothers wanted to kill me," he added once he had succeeded in controlling the flow.

 

It started anew when he whispered, "My father agreed with them."

 

At this, he started crying in earnest. Instinctively, Kyungsoo reached out and started petting his hair. The young dragon stiffened at the unexpected touch, but he was in need of comfort and soon relaxed. He leaned onto the monk and let himself go, sobbing into Kyungsoo's tunic and staining it gold.

They stayed like this for a while, the monk putting aside any consideration of the strangeness of the situation to focus on comforting the young dragon. He couldn't quite keep his eyes from wandering over the strong back, down the trail of scales that was plain to see. Despite his lack of clothes, the dragon's skin was warm to the touch.

 

Eventually, the tears were spent and the dragon pulled himself back up, wiping the gold off his face.

 

"I'm sorry."

 

"What for ?"

 

"I'm going to have to eat you, otherwise you'll tell everyone of my disgrace."

 

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," replied Kyungsoo easily. He was starting to get used to this, and he was tired of playing the game. "I'm a disciple of the master on the mountain."

 

The dragon blinked at him. "Who ?."

 

A shiver ran down the monk's spine as he realized that his usual saving grace would be of no help. He stiffened, readying himself to grab his staff. But to his surprise, the dragon relaxed and gave him a tiny smile.

 

"You're lucky that I have no appetite for flesh right now."

 

He stretched, showing off his strong human frame. "I won't eat you this time. Do you have any human food ?"

 

Kyungsoo nodded and pulled out some way bread for the dragon. He decided not to express his wonder at the odd turn of events, as he knew that magical beasts tended to make very spontaneous decisions. This was the main source of danger in interacting with them, and one had to remember to go with the flow at all times around them. Kyungsoo focused on his breath and repeated this mantra in his mind. Go with the flow.

 

The dragon didn't seem to notice this, too busy inspecting the food he had just received. The air of curiosity in his eyes was a rather adorable change to his demeanour. He gave the bread a sniff and a tentative bite, chewing slowly.

 

"It's good," he finally said and devoured the rest of the bread in a single mouthful. "Do you have more ?"

 

Although he didn't have much left, Kyungsoo thought it unwise to refuse the dragon. He offered the last of his way bread, and it quickly disappeared.

 

"Do you have friends ?" Asked the dragon abruptly.

 

"At the monastery, yes," replied a mystified Kyungsoo.

 

"Does one of them carry a rake ?"

 

At this, the monk whirled around to face the line of trees again. Squinting, he spotted a big nine-toothed rake sticking out of the tall grass, moving in their direction. A pig's head was barely visible below.

 

"I have to go," announced Kyungsoo, gathering his things and preparing to flee.

 

"Do you need help ?"

 

The monk paused, looking at him curiously. The air around the dragon started shimmering again and soon he had returned to his magical form. His voice was the same deep timbre as he turned and said :

 

"If you get on my back I can fly you far away from your friend."

 

There was a beat of hesitation before Kyungsoo jumped onto the dragon's back.

 

"Where do you want to go ?"

 

"That mountain," he answered, pointing to the highest peak, which stood across the valley in a direct line from the outcropping of rocks they stood on.

 

The young dragon took off and for the first time in his life, Kyungsoo was flying. The stayed low but it was an exhilarating feeling. The dragon's body was warm and rippled easily in the air as the meadow below them rushed by. It seemed less than an hour before they reached the steep slope of the mountain, although it should have taken at least a day's walk, and the dragon landed delicately behind a large rock. Kyungsoo stepped off and when he turned back, he found the dragon back in its human form, smiling at him.

 

"I can't take you much further because it gets tiring for me."

 

"That's alright. Thank you for getting me this far. Can I do anything for you, dragon ?"

 

"My name's Chanyeol."

 

Kyungsoo smiled. It was a nice name. "Then what can I do for you, Chanyeol ?"

 

"Can you keep me company a little longer ? Now that we're safe from your friend."

 

As Kyungsoo hesitated, the dragon added shyly, "I don't want to be alone just yet."

 

The monk's compassion took over and he settled down cross-legged on the grass, patting the spot beside him for the Chanyeol to join him. To take his mind off of his punishment, Kyungsoo started talking about his days at the monastery and the various pranks and troubles he had caused when he had first arrived. They talked for a long time, and though the dragon spoke a little less there was a pleasant honesty about him. He was unfamiliar with the human customs of politeness and tact, but he was never hurtful. And despite the relative innocence of his words, there was a wisdom in them that betrayed an older being than Kyungsoo was. Just as he finished telling the story of the time he and Yifan had let a goat loose in one of the study halls, the dragon cocked his head to the side.

 

"This man. You loved him ?"

 

Kyungsoo was startled by this question. After a short silence, he answered : "I'm not sure. I think so."

 

"You talk of him as though you shared something deep."

 

"We did," he said softly. The memory of Yifan held only warmth now, the sadness of his departure having been soothed by the passage of time.

 

"I've never known love," announced the dragon. "It sounds nice, though."

 

"Do dragons not love ?"

 

"Not as humans do." He looked down at his body with an interested air. "There seem to be more possibilities in this form."

 

Kyungsoo followed his gaze. A thought came to him and without hesitation, he reached over to run his hand along the trail of scales on Chanyeol's back. The dragon shivered and closed his eyes.

 

"It's much more sensitive, too," He whispered. His eyes flew open and he turned to Kyungsoo as he asked, "Can you kiss me ?"

 

The monk leaned forward slowly. His gaze flickered down to Chanyeol's lips. His human face was quite a pleasant one. If he was honest with himself, he had thought of such a moment when he had first seen him in human form on the hill that morning. He tried to put that feeling into the kiss, as he delicately brushed his mouth on Chanyeol's own. The dragon shivered again.

 

"Much more sensitive," he repeated before leaning forward and returning the kiss. He was more forceful than the monk had been, and there was an eagerness about his hands as they reached for his waist to pull him closer. Settling on his lap, Kyungsoo felt a familiar hardness against his leg. He looked down.

 

"Just from kissing ?" He wondered aloud.

 

The dragon shrugged. "This is new, and it's quite pleasant. Is it pleasant for you too ?"

 

Kyungsoo nodded.

 

"Do you want to continue ?"

 

There was no hesitation for Kyungsoo. He nodded again and bent down to kiss along Chanyeol's neck. His hands brushed over the strong torso and down to the thick length between his legs. The young man gasped at the first touch, eyes fluttering closed. Kyungsoo thought with a smile of how much pleasure he might give him and after a few experimental strokes, he lowered himself down. Chanyeol was larger than the river spirit, and he felt quite eager to taste him.

As he slowly ran his tongue along the head, the other moaned. Kyungsoo smiled again. This was going to be fun.

 

 

Chanyeol didn't last very long and soon spilled into Kyungsoo's mouth, but he seemed to require very little time to recover. Soon the monk was naked too and moaning as the taller worked himself in. The warmth of his body was pleasant, and the heaviness on top of him was also a source of pleasure. Kyungsoo felt very small under Chanyeol.

 

 

 

A few hours later, he was finally spent and they lay together on the grass. The monk was reflecting once again on the odd turn of events, and thanking his stars that he hadn't tried to seduce the pig-demon. At the rate he was going, there would be few mountain inhabitants that he didn't know intimately.

 

"Chanyeol," he whispered, lightly shaking the sleeping dragon.

 

"Hmm ?"

 

"I have to go. I think the demon is going to catch up if I don't."

 

"Your friend ?"

 

"He's not really my friend. He wants to eat me."

 

"I can understand that. You look very tasty," he said casually as he stretched. "Go ahead. I'll stay here and head him off if he does come."

 

Kyungsoo dressed himself quickly. The dragon watched as he did, and when he was done came closer to give him one last, soft kiss.

 

"Thank you for keeping me company."

 

"Thank you for not eating me," replied the monk with a smile before he set off up the slope. When he turned back, he saw the dragon's original form curled up on a rock, scales glinting in the sunlight as he watched the meadow for any sign of a nine-toothed rake.

 

Kyungsoo smiled to himself as he walked. There had been something of Yifan about this one. And try as he might, he was unable to remember any story where someone lay with a dragon. This had to be a first.

 

 

 

**

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear I don't have an eating kink this is just a dangerous environment for humans. Particularly squishy humans such as Kyungsoo.


	5. The Morning Star

 

**

 

 

The soft glow of afternoon accompanied Kyungsoo as he climbed this new mountain. Golden light washed over the five-headed peak ahead, and he felt the comfortable stillness of the day settle over him. He thought of Chanyeol as he went, and when night came and he settled in a sheltered spot some yards away from the road, his mind turned to Suho. They had been two similar experiences, yet distinct in their personalities. Where Suho was combative, Chanyeol had been patient. Where the River Spirit had been yielding and soft, the dragon had shown the fire within him. Pondering this duality, he drifted off to sleep, his dreams leading him to the tall frame and square shoulders of Yifan. He remembered them vividly, the detail of his skin shining through the fog of time. But the soothing power of his presence seemed weakened, and he tossed and turned in fitful sleep. He was tired when he woke the next day.

Yet despite this and his hunger, sharpened by the lack of way bread, he resolved to get as far as he possibly could in one day. There had been too many distractions keeping him from his goal. Though the Master was not expecting him, he felt a sense of urgency. He pulled out the map given to him by Master Lu and examined it. The mountain he was currently on had a fairly distinct shape and he located it easily. He was heading towards an area which looked to be just beyond it. If he was estimating the distance he'd come correctly and if everything went smoothly enough, he had only three days of walking left.

 

Hopefully the Pig was the only real demon he would encounter, although he had heard that the higher one climbed, the thicker they came. He pushed the thought away as he gathered his belongings and, staff in hand, began the day's climb.

The morning went by easily enough but around noon, he started lagging. The lack of food and sleep was taking its toll on him.

He sat down by a bare Gingko tree to ponder his options. If he hunted he would get satisfying sustenance, but lose valuable time. If he stopped at picking wild edibles along the path, he could keep going but would probably have to stop again quite soon.

 

His stomach gave a mournful growl as he thought of roast chicken and soybean stew, fried noodles and the steamed buns that the monks made only on festival days. Just as his mind filled with the memory of delicious baozi, he caught upon the wind the heavenly smell of meat cooking. He straightened instantly and sniffed at the air, trying his hardest to locate the source of the smell. He couldn't quite identify the dish but he was certain he had tasted it before, and that it was the very best he had ever had.

He got to his feet and started walking, nose in the air as he sniffed his way to a meal. It seemed that it must be coming from behind the boulder across the path, which sat against a sheer slab of granite, and couldn't possibly hide anything else - but he found there only an empty clearing. The smell was stronger, so he kept going, creeping towards the next cluster of boulders and certain that whoever was cooking food was now very close by. But behind the next outcropping he found nothing but another small clearing and more boulders. His pace quickened and he forewent basic caution, uncaring of the noise he was making on his hunt. He had to eat, he had to eat now and he had to eat whatever it was that was producing such a smell. Surely the Jade Emperor himself in his heavenly palace could not be enjoying better food.

He finally spotted on the face of the mountain a glow betraying the presence of a fire and a tiny puff of smoke. The smell of meat was even stronger here than before and he rushed ahead.

Just as he turned the corner, he heard an evil laugh. A heavy blow connected to the back of his head and he fell to the ground, unconscious.

 

 

 

 

 

He awoke to a dull throbbing in his brain, and for a few seconds he was unable to identify his surroundings. It was dark and smoky, and there seemed to be a rock wall before him, but there was something wrong about it. It was only when he felt that he was slowly turning in spite of himself that he realized he had been tied up and strung upside down to hang from the ceiling. A wider space came into view as he rotated, revealing his exact location : a demon cave. Certain corners were lit by a dim reddish glow and spiky shapes moved through it and into shadows. Some of them were humanoid, thought Kyungsoo, while others were completely monstrous. Most of them seemed rather small, but three stood out both by their size and relative stillness. They sat to one side of the cavern, on seats carved into the mountain itself, and looked upon the comings and goings of the others. From this Kyungsoo inferred that they were the demon lords, and all the rest must be their minions.

He squinted through the smoke, trying to find a detail about them that would let him guess their identity. The Monastery had many books on the various mountain demons. If he managed to recognize them, he might be able to recall their weakness and get himself out of this trap.

Unfortunately, his slow rotation kept bringing him back to face the wall, which made it difficult to focus on his immediate goal. When he came face to face with the room again, one of the three had disappeared. The middle one had shifted forward as he spoke to a minion, and the dim glow of the furnaces caught on a long blade at his hip. The distinctive curve of the weapon could only mean one thing : he had been caught by the cave demon Sehun, whose special affinity was with wind. This was a blow to Kyungsoo. He had read about this particular spirit in many texts, and there was little indication of any weakness. His only chance would be to free himself and slip out quietly.

 

Just as he began to test his bonds, Sehun's eyes turned to him. Kyungsoo froze on the spot, but it was too late. A smirk grew on the demon's face and he signalled one of his minions over. The rope lowered slowly until the monk was lying facedown on the floor. He felt a rough hand flip him over and he found himself staring into a pointy face framed by dark eyebrows. The demon was surprisingly handsome, he thought, although there was a dangerous gleam in his eyes as he studied his prisoner.

 

"So," he said after a short silence. "You're a monk."

 

Kyungsoo stared up at him, willing himself not to answer. He knew that conversation with demons was a dangerous business, and that it was best to only speak when necessary. If he had remembered that when speaking to the Pig demon, he might have saved himself some trouble.

 

"A monk in the mountains.. A solitary monk climbing through these demon infested mountains," muttered the demon. He seemed to be speaking more to himself than to Kyungsoo.

 

The monk watched as his captor circled him, running a hand through his pale hair, deep in thought.

 

"I have heard of a monk, recently. A good friend of mine stopped by yesterday to tell me about him. Do you know what he said ?"

 

This direct question demanded an answer, so Kyungsoo shook his head slightly, still unwilling to speak.

 

"He said he had met a tasty-looking monk with a heart-shaped mouth. Doesn't that sound like you now ?"

 

At this, Kyungsoo frantically shook his head no again.

 

"He also said that this monk gave him quite a bit of trouble. He was disrespectful and unpleasant, and then - what do you think he did ?"

 

Now he had to speak. "No idea," he carefully answered with his best attempt at an innocent air.

 

"He hit my friend on the head and ran away. Isn't that just awful ?" Asked the demon, a small smirk coming to contradict his words.

 

"Awful," was Kyungsoo's short reply.

 

"Now it seems to me that there can't be that many monks running around these mountains. And it also seems to me that you look just like the sort of person who would use his staff on a poor, unsuspecting pig-demon. What do you think ?"

 

Kyungsoo shrugged, but before he could speak, the demon waved his hand and he found himself standing upright. From this new angle, he was painfully aware of the height difference between himself and the demon, who now towered above him.

 

"Now, whether or not you _are_ that monk, you do seem very tasty."

 

Just as he said this, the demon who was still seated leaned forward and spoke in a deep tone.

 

"Sehun. Stop playing with our food. I'm hungry."

 

Sehun turned to him and Kyungsoo was finally able to catch a glimpse of his face. He had the same pointy face and dark eyebrows, but an oddly large nose contrasted with his delicate features.

 

"It seems to me, Zitao, that we ought to call Piggsy before we feast."

 

"Why ? We saw the pig yesterday. I'm tired of his presence."

 

Sehun strode back up to him, completely ignoring Kyungsoo as he fell back to the ground. The monk immediately began to feel about for a weakness in his bonds as the demon brothers argued about what to do with him. The slight tremor of fear that ran through him made it difficult to move effectively, and the sweat running down his back only heightened his discomfort.

 

"If we invite him over, and this is the right monk, Piggsy will owe us a favour. And we can still eat him then."

 

At this remark from Sehun, Zitao's eyes turned back to Kyungsoo and he felt himself freeze.

 

"What if he escapes while we wait for the pig ?"

 

A short laugh from Sehun was the only answer, and a new pull on the rope hoist the monk back up to ceiling. The last thing he heard as he went was from Zitao.

 

"Knock him out. I want to make sure dinner is on time."

 

And just as he started to struggle, a new blow to his head left him unconscious.

 

 

 

 

When he next awoke the cave was darkened and empty. He took this as a sign of momentary reprieve from being eaten, and set about trying to escape his bonds again. He had managed to free his left hand and was trying to decide exactly how that helped him when a soft glow appeared in the tunnel's mouth. It flickered and seemed less threatening than the reddish glow that accompanied the demon brothers, but Kyungsoo started squirming desperately in the hopes of avoiding his fate as someone's dinner.

He was facing the entrance straight on when the source of the glow appeared, not a candle as he'd expected, but a young man that shone bright and pure. It was unclear where exactly the light came from as it floated around him, giving him an aura of soothing gold. He strode purposefully forth into the cavern, stopping in its centre and looking up at Kyungsoo. Their eyes met and the golden man smiled, a dimple appearing on his cheek.

 

"Hello," he called, his voice as soft as his appearance.

 

"Hello," answered Kyungsoo, completely nonplussed. This didn't seem to be a demon at all, yet what could he possibly be doing here ?

 

"Do you need anything ?" Asked the stranger pleasantly.

 

There was a short silence. "Can you get me out of this place safely ?"

 

"Yes !" And with a wave of his hand, the ropes around Kyungsoo loosened. He fell to the ground with a thud and a groan. "Sorry about that," the stranger said as he came to help him get up. "I forgot about gravity."

 

"You forgot about .. ?"

 

"Ah, I'll explain later. We really should get out of here."

 

"Right," replied Kyungsoo, mentally repeating his _Go With The Flow_ mantra. He stood, carefully stretching his sore limbs before turning to his companion. "Lead the way, then."

 

The stranger gave him another dimpled smile and walked off into one of the many tunnels leading to this room, Kyungsoo following close behind. They encountered nothing and no one on their way, soon reaching the cave's mouth and stepping out into the darkness of early dawn. The monk didn't recognize his surroundings at all, but fortunately the stranger didn't seem to want to leave him just yet, taking his hand to guide him on.

 

They were silent until Kyungsoo's curiosity became too strong to bear. "Who are you ?"

 

"My name is - hang on.." He seemed to be casting about as though trying to remember a trivial bit of information. "Oh yes ! That's right. My name is Yixing. It's nice to meet you." As he said this, he smiled again and Kyungsoo saw that the warm glow came from his eyes as they took the shape of the crescent moon.

 

"Nice to meet you too."

 

"We're not far from the path now. Don't stray off again, all right ? Even if it smells really tasty."

 

At this, Kyungsoo remembered exactly how long it had been since his last meal and his stomach gave another mournful growl.

 

The stranger laughed as he heard it, exclaiming : "Humans ! You're so delightfully noisy."

 

When they finally reached the Gingko tree Kyungsoo remembered, he pulled a satchel from his yellow hanfu and handed it to the monk.

 

"This is food. It should be enough for you to reach your goal, although it's been a while since I visited so I might be wrong about how much you need to eat. You'll have to see for yourself."

 

"Thank you.." Answered Kyungsoo as he took the gift, still completely confused as to what was happening to him.

 

The other took a step back and looked him over, top to bottom, apparently pondering something.

 

"I think advice and food is not enough for you. You look too tasty. You'll never make it through. Let me see..."

 

At this new mention of his perceived tastiness, Kyungsoo felt himself stiffen. He spotted his staff still lying on the ground where he'd left it under the Gingko tree. If he was quick enough, he might get to it before the odd young man decided that he too wanted dinner, but he had barely formulated a plan when the other stepped closer and delicately wound his hands around the monk's back, pulling him closer. He leaned in and their lips met. The kiss was soft and light, and yet somehow deep and warm at the same time, the movement of Yixing's lips communicating the aura of peace that surrounded him. Kyungsoo felt himself melt into the touch, eyes fluttering close. The fatigue and soreness of his limbs washed away, and when Yixing pulled back with a small smile, the monk instantly missed the comfort of his lips.

 

"A blessing for you, monk. No harm can come to you until you reach your goal."

 

And with these words, Yixing's form seemed to flicker as though his physical body were fading, leaving behind the golden aura, which remained only a few seconds before suddenly flying up into the air and towards the shining light of Venus, straight ahead of him. Kyungsoo stared after it, and as the dawn broke on the world, a sparkle in the sky told him that he had been saved by the Morning Star himself.

 

 

**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long. It took many rewritings and a lot of deep thought for me to get it where I liked it. Sometimes you just have to give up on ideas that aren't working, no matter how great they are.
> 
> BaekSoo, though I love them, will have to wait a little longer. It's LaySoo's time to shine. 
> 
> Anyway ! I'm back and on a roll ! 
> 
>  
> 
> Hope you liked it :)


	6. The River's Bed

 

**

 

 

Kyungsoo's journey resumed under much more favourable circumstances, thanks to the Morning Star's blessing and satchel of food. He had given the monk a delicious sort of way bread that was much lighter than anything he had ever tasted, yet very filling. A single piece held him for a full day's march, and he hardly felt the need to eat more when he stopped that night. He chose a spot a few yards from the path, well sheltered from the wind, where he lay down by his staff and went directly to sleep. He woke in the early hours of the morning, perfectly refreshed despite the odd dreams that had visited him. Yifan and Suho had melded into one two-headed creature that reached out to hold him, and there'd been a fire raging in a small village. The hybrid kept him by his side with pleasant caresses, but all the while he heard screams coming from the burning houses. The dream had ended with a flash of Chanyeol's human face, but his expression had been wild and menacing. Just as he had been about to speak, the rising sun had shone on Kyungsoo's face and awoken him.

 

He rose and returned to the path, deciding to eat as he went to catch up on lost time. If all of his calculations held true, he would soon arrive to the Master on the Mountain's lair, and there finish his training. Absentmindedly, he gave a small pat on the inside pocket where he kept the Gingko leaf, the proof that master Wu had deemed him worthy.

 

A panic passed over him when he didn't feel anything, and he stopped in his tracks, dropping his staff to pull his tunic open and check inside the pocket. He gave a sigh of relief as he pulled the leaf out, holding it up to the sunlight. It had somewhat dried but it was soft to the touch. The bright yellow shone bright and Kyungsoo turned it this way and that to better admire it, breathing in the relief of having found it.

 

Just as he thought to himself how lucky he was, a gust of wind came up and caught the leaf, pulling it away from him.

 

"No !" He yelled, clambering over the rocks as he tried to catch it.

 

But the wind did not seem to be in a cooperative mood. Whenever the leaf was about to fall to the ground, a new breeze caught it up and took it farther still.

All of Kyungsoo's skill was bent towards its capture as he leapt and bounded forward, always unable to reach his goal. He felt himself grow desperate. This was the only way he had to prove himself to the last Master. What would happen without it ? Surely he would not be taken on as an apprentice, if he had nothing to show his worth.

 

These thoughts spurred him on after the leaf and he gave a final frantic leap that brought him over a higher outcropping of rocks. The other side proved to be a sheer drop, but Kyungsoo had no time to register this, feeling a strong arm catch him by the back of the tunic. As he hung there, saved by a mysterious being, he watched the leaf fly away and down into the valley below. It was lost to him.

 

Slowly, the hand on his back hoisted him up and he came to rest on the cliff. He sat, staring into the landscape below, still trying to process the loss of his leaf.

 

"Are you alright ?" A lilting voice broke into his thoughts and he looked up to find a young man's friendly eyes looking down at him.

 

"Yes.. yes - thank you. Sorry.. I.."

 

The stranger looked serious as he asked : "Why were you jumping off the cliff ?"

 

"I didn't realize it was a cliff. I.. I had a Ginkgo leaf and it flew off... and I was trying to catch it."

 

"You jumped off.. for a leaf ?"

 

"No ! Well, yes." In his upset state of mind, he was having trouble explaining himself. "But it's not just any leaf. Master Wu gave it to me."

 

The stranger straightened and gave him an odd look. "He must be a very great master if he can give a leaf such worth."

 

"It's the first Ginkgo leaf to fall.. I was supposed to bring it to the Master on the Mountain to prove my own worth.. that Master Wu thought I was ready to meet him... To meet the Master on the Mountain. The last Master."

 

At this, the other's face broke into a smile. It was wide and curved pleasantly, and Kyungsoo felt a calm wash over him.

 

"It seems to me that you speak too much of Masters. Who governs you, but yourself ?"

 

This remark nettled the monk somewhat. "The Monastery has no place for ego."

 

"I'm not talking about ego," he replied simply with a twinkle in his eye.

 

"Look, thank you for saving me, but I must get on with my journey."

 

He rose and took in the other's appearance as he did so. He was short, about Kyungsoo's size, but his frame was much slimmer. His only possession appeared to be the light grey sleeveless tunic he wore. It seemed impossible that he had caught him mid-leap with those arms, but this barely registered to the annoyed monk.

 

"Goodbye," was his only greeting as he clambered back up over the rocks.

 

"See you later !" Called the other as he vanished.

 

Kyungsoo's frown deepened, but he had little time to focus on his irritation as he climbed. It was a difficult process, and the pain of losing the Ginkgo leaf certainly didn't help. He was in no higher spirit when he got back to the path and found his staff waiting for him in the hands of none other than his saviour. The young man was seated on a rock and seemed to be waiting for him. He rose with a grin as soon as he saw Kyungsoo.

 

"Hello there."

 

"What are you doing here ? And how did you get here so fast ?"

 

"Would you like to know ?" Was the serious reply.

 

Kyungsoo shot him an amazed look, seizing his staff from the other's open hands. "Why else would I ask ?"

 

"I could tell you. But I don't know if you're ready. I haven't decided quite yet."

 

"Keep your secrets, then. I need to get on with my journey."

 

And he went off up the path. To his surprise, the young man fell in with him, a cheerful air on his features. Kyungsoo studied them a little before trusting himself to speak. There was something cat-like about him, in his high cheekbones and softly curving mouth. His straight eyebrows might have made him look impressive if it weren't for the slight lift of both corners of his mouth that gave him a permanent half-smile. When he noticed that he was being stared at, it turned into a friendly grin.

Kyungsoo almost grinned back, but he remembered that he was annoyed at the young man's unnecessary mysteries, along with the wind and life in general.

 

"What are you doing ?" He asked shortly.

 

"I felt an urge to visit this mountain today. Now that I've fulfilled my purpose I'm walking home."

 

This was an unexpected answer. "You live on these mountains ?"

 

"More or less. I usually stay in the valley you almost dove into, on a little hill near a stream. It's a very lovely place. There's a peach tree that's in bloom right now. Later it'll bear some delicious fruit. I think you'll like them."

 

Kyungsoo stopped in his tracks. "But it's autumn. The Ginkgo tree at the Monastery just lost its first leaf."

 

The other gave him a new smile as he answered simply, "It's really a very lovely peach tree !"

 

"It must be magic if it's blooming in autumn."

 

There was no answer and they resumed walking in silence. The path curved downwards, giving them an interrupted view of the valley below. It was indeed lovely, a narrow ravine tucked between two mountains. A river ran through it and there were a few small hills on each side. On one of them, Kyungsoo spied a patch of pink that must be the peach tree, but he still refused to believe his companion.

The young man had begun to hum as he walked, a tune that reminded Kyungsoo of running water and worked the same calming spell over him. He began to forget about the loss of his Ginkgo leaf, letting the warm sunlight, soft breeze and happy singing wash over him.

 

"What's your name ?" He inquired at length.

 

"I am Chen," was the happy reply.

 

"Nice to meet you. My name is Kyungsoo."

 

Chen merely gave him a nod and a smile, and they went on in silence. It seemed a very short time before they reached the valley floor, where the path followed by the side of the river to the monk's great pleasure. He gave a happy sigh.

 

"I love running water."

 

"Do you ? That's very good." The stranger gave him a satisfied nod. "Very good indeed."

 

And it was a shorter time still before they reached a ford in the river made of rocks. Chen skipped onto the first one and turned to Kyungsoo.

 

"Will you cross the river with me ?"

 

He hesitated only a few seconds before hopping onto a rock and returning the other's smile. Chen seemed very happy to see this, resuming his hummed song as he hopped over to the other side. He landed first and turned to wait for Kyungsoo. The monk took a little longer, arriving slightly less gracefully than the other. He gave an incredulous gasp as he straightened and found himself in a cloud of peach blossoms dancing about on the breeze.

When he looked up, he found their source : a gigantic peach tree in full bloom, softly waving in the wind. His awestruck gaze turned back to Chen, who was observing him intently.

 

"I deem you worthy, Kyungsoo," he said after a short silence. The lilt was gone from his tone, but it was still warm and pleasant.

 

"What ?"

 

"You don't need your Ginkgo leaf. You have shown me that you're ready to be taught."

 

"You're... ?" Then, as Chen gave a single nod, he dropped to ground, prostrating himself as low as he could. "Master, forgive me !"

 

This was met with a laugh. "What for ?"

 

"I was annoyed and dismissive.. I did not recognize you," came muffled from the ground, causing another laugh.

 

"Am I not what you expected ?"

 

"Well... No."

 

"Then that can be your first lesson."

 

"What ?"

 

"It's time to eat ! Rise, pupil. You can ponder that over food."

 

And with that, he bounded up the hill to the peach tree. Kyungsoo stared after him for a second, before rising and following the Master on the Mountain into his domain.

 

 

**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are. The master has arrived. 
> 
>  
> 
> I'm not sure why I originally decided to have it be Jongdae, but I'm sticking with it. He seems just the sort to teach someone hobbit-like wisdom like don't jump off a cliff or eating helps you think.
> 
> The next chapter will demonstrate the value of second breakfast and elevensies. 
> 
>  
> 
> Also if you caught my LOTR easter egg there, props to you.


	7. The Peach Tree

 

**

 

 

Training with the Master on the mountain turned out to be very different than Kyungsoo had imagined it to be. At the monastery, the masters grew in age as they did in importance, and Master Wu, the highest master there, was also the oldest. From this Kyungsoo had decided that he would find Chen to be someone even older, quieter and more mysterious.

But he was a young man in looks and in spirits, a talkative person who was quick to smile and laugh, and who rarely felt the need to be cryptic. He seemed to speak and act mostly according to his whims, but these were always deeply wise and kind, although Kyungsoo doubted this in the beginning.

 

The first day together was spent under the peach tree, trying to decide if the fruit that it carried was ripe yet.

 

"At the Monastery there's a set day for picking peaches," said Kyungsoo as they moved threw the branches and delicately handled the fruit. "Master Yi decides and on that day all the novices go out to pick them."

 

"Then you must learn to decide for yourself if a peach is ready," smiled Chen. "It's quite easy. Close your eyes."

 

Kyungsoo did as he was bid. "Now lean forward. Very good."

 

Just as the monk was about to give a tentative sniff, a wave of water splashed him in the face and he jumped back. He found Chen laughing delightedly.

 

"So it is, young pupil, that sometimes we lean in to smell the heavenly aroma of fresh peaches, and instead we get splashed in the face."

 

Kyungsoo felt a twinge of annoyance at this, and wondered if he hadn't fallen into the clutches of a prankster demon. He stayed on his guard, even as Chen brought him down to riverbank to meditate. The master was serious as he turned to him and, sitting cross-legged, spoke.

 

"You've learned to meditate with the monks at the monastery, which is a good start - but it's not enough. To reach the true calm at the bottom of your heart, you must go beyond what you've been taught and forget the words of men. Nature can teach you true balance, if you know how to listen. Close your eyes now, and hold within you the sound of the river."

 

Kyungsoo did as he was bid, slipping comfortably into the state of peace that he was familiar with. As he heard the voice of Master Feng guiding him, he felt a blow to the top of his head.

 

"Ouch !"

 

"You are hearing the voices of men. That is not good enough."

 

"Alright," grumbled the monk, rubbing his skull.

 

He closed his eyes again and before the soft mantra could start, he pushed it away. He received a new blow to the top of his head.

 

"Hey !"

 

"You are fighting. That is not the way of water."

 

It was difficult to keep the sarcasm out of his voice as he asked : "Then what is, _master_ ?"

 

"Look at the rocks in the stream."

 

The monk turned to observe the rushing current.

 

"Does the water fight them ?"

 

"No. It goes around."

 

"It yields."

 

Kyungsoo turned back to Chen, who was watching him seriously. "Master, how can I yield and not hear the voices ?"

 

"You must let them through and then let them go. If you push them away they will always be with you."

 

The monk nodded and closed his eyes again, seeing a clearer path to his goal and hoping that it would involve no more knocks to the top of his head. He seemed to succeed because silence settled over them as they both meditated by the side of the river, the sound of the water washing over them and into their minds, brushing away their asperities and annoyances.

It took Kyungsoo some time to pull himself back to his body when he felt a soft hand on his shoulders, and he opened his eyes to find Chen beaming down at him.

 

"You've meditated for three days. Good job !"

 

"Good.. job ?" He croaked.

 

"Yes, wonderful indeed. I've been trying to stay quiet, wondering how long you'd last." Said the master with a smile. "But now I had to bring you back, otherwise you might have been lost to the current for ever."

 

Kyungsoo unfolded himself and took the food that he was being offered shakily. _Three days ?_ That hardly felt possible.

 

"Now you must sleep," announced the master cheerfully, pulling him towards a hut that was hidden from the river by the peach tree's hill. "And tomorrow I will teach you."

 

This promise barely registered to the monk as he staggered onto a bed of grass and fell asleep. He dreamed no dreams, and awoke to the bright light of day to find Chen sitting in the doorway, humming as he looked out to the mountains.

 

"The meditation has cleared your mind of the dreams," he said without turning.

 

"It's nice," replied the monk. "They were getting weird."

 

"This is your fight, Kyungsoo. This is what you must be wary of." But the strange young man added nothing to this, and he left his pupil to rise and eat on his own. He was waiting by the peach tree when Kyungsoo joined him, and addressed him seriously.

 

"Now that you have found the river's bed where there are no illusions, I can begin to teach you. The place where you spent three days is the place you must reach to see the true name of everything around you. Some will hide it better than others. You must practice on your own. I will consider your training done when you can see my true name." He paused for a second and added with a smile, "But of course you are free to go at any moment."

 

He paused again, as though to give Kyungsoo an opportunity to leave, but the monk stayed firmly where he was. The uncertainty had vanished from his heart, leaving only determination.

 

"Good," nodded the master. "Now I will begin to teach you my arts."

 

And little by little, Chen revealed his secrets. He taught Kyungsoo first the Fire and Water Charms, which helped him survive these two elements. The second lesson included spending quite a bit of time submerged in the river, but having mastered the first he was able to dry himself off by getting much closer to the fire than he normally would have. On one blissful evening they climbed up to the top of the nearest mountain and Chen taught him to summon the storm. They raised a strong wind and called to them such clouds as would have scared any brave warrior straight into his castle. As thunder roared and lightning came down, Kyungsoo watched his master laughing gleefully in the middle of the tempest, and he felt that he had glimpsed the first hint of his true name. It was soon gone, however, as the glee took him as well and they raised more clouds to join the throng.

 

Then for a week nothing happened. They simply lounged below the peach tree, eating and sleeping and talking as their hearts wished it. They grew closer in that time, as Chen seemed to detect that Kyungsoo craved physical attention. They often fell asleep huddled against each other despite the warmth of those fall days. When they lay down below the tree to watch the clouds go by, Chen would run his hands through the monk's short crop of growing hair until he fell asleep.

It was pleasant and peaceful, and it ended just as Kyungsoo started to wonder what more he might learn here. He found Chen one morning by the river, a serious look on his delicate features.

 

"Today I will teach you the Art of the Earthly Multitude. You must use it wisely, and only when in great need."

 

Kyungsoo nodded, sitting down to receive his lesson. This was a difficult power to master and it took him several days of intense focus to reach the first transformation into the smallest of creatures, the grasshopper. But after that the next 71 forms came easily enough, to his surprise. He had always struggled to reach mastery of the arts taught at the monastery. It must be that Chen, though young, was a better master than any of the others.

And soon they were both hawks, flying through the valley to land on the peach tree, before returning to their human forms and collapsing into a pile of happy laughter.

 

"Wonderful, Kyungsoo !" Called the master between hiccups.

 

Whenever Chen laughed like this, freely giving in to the pure joy of the moment, the monk saw a new hint of his true nature. He felt his depth and his cheer, but he also thought he could see, hidden just out of view, a sadness that never left.

He saw it now through the laughter and reached instinctively to take his hand, to Chen's surprise. The laughter turned to a soft smile as Kyungsoo pulled him closer and into his arms.

They stayed that way, a calm settling over them as they sat intertwined under the peach tree, waiting for the day to fade.

 

 

**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am very soft for ChenSoo today. Let them have all the cuddles. We'll see about angst later on. 
> 
>  
> 
> (evil laughter coming from Sehun's demon cave)


	8. The Monkey King

 

**

 

 

There was never a routine with Chen, and the monk found it difficult at first. He'd been used to days of reassuring consistency at the Monastery, where everything happened at a set time. But the Master on the Mountain ate and slept when he pleased, with little regard for the very concept of a schedule. Even the order in which he taught his pupil seemed to be completely random, with Chen deciding one day to have him work on one art and moving on to another the next day even though Kyungsoo felt like he had nowhere near mastered the first.

Chen left him to his own devices for long stretches, disappearing mysteriously into the mountains with barely a word for his pupil. He usually came back by nightfall, expecting to hear all the details of Kyungsoo's day. From this the monk understood that his first instinct, which had been to practice diligently even when alone, was mostly right. Occasionally the master would ask things like : "How did the wind feel against your skin today ?" or "How cold was the river ?".

If the monk had no answer to these questions, he would say nothing and smile pleasantly as they ate, but after a few of these silences Kyungsoo took the questions as prompts.

The next time he was left alone for the day, he spent the morning practicing the eight trigrams of Pa Kua and exercising his physical body, but when the sun reached its highest point he stopped and sat by the side of the stream, dipping his feet in and focusing on the icy sensation. He soon had to withdraw them and then he enjoyed the feeling of sunlight drying them off. He sat for a long time in the slight breeze, thinking of nothing, before he stood and returned to his exercise.

This was a new martial art that Chen had taught him one day below the peach tree.

 

"Each trigram has a special power," he explained softly. "Each is a shape which you must learn, and each one is linked to everything else. Now tell me what you are the master of, young pupil."

 

Kyungsoo pondered for a second. "I am the master of myself."

 

"Yes. And yourself only. Nothing else is within your control. But because everything is linked to everything else, if you learn to control your own being you can influence what is around you."

 

There was a pause, then Chen listed the eight trigrams to Kyungsoo. The monk paid close attention, knowing that there would be no repeating.

 

"I have already taught you, without naming them, the third, fourth, fifth and sixth trigrams. They are Li, Zhen, Xun and Kan - fire, thunder, wind and water. These came easy to you, without much practice of their shapes. Adaptability, initiative, gentleness and movement are a strong part of you."

 

A slight flush crept across the novice's cheeks at this praise. Chen smiled when he saw this, continuing his explanation.

 

"But you will struggle with the next four. Before I begin to teach you Qian, Dui, Gen and Kun, you will need to learn the shapes. They will help you control creativity, tranquillity, stillness and yielding. It will take you a while."

 

Kyungsoo was good at practicing and patience, so he didn't mind this news. He also felt a growing dread at the thought of one day leaving the master. Though the freedom had been a strange thing at first, he was beginning to love the easiness of this lifestyle, even as he understood how much he had left to learn. And though hesitant at first, he was growing to love his master deeply for his wisdom, kindness, and constant youthful playfulness.

So he practiced every day that Chen left him alone, welcoming the lessons and the time to practice, and always looking forward to telling him the small things he had noticed during his absence, elliciting in this way the smile which warmed him over and made him want to work harder the next day.

But one evening, as the sun went down over the horizon, the master didn't return. Kyungsoo looked for him in the lengthening shadows until the light was gone and he was forced to accept that Chen would not come back that evening.

 

He went to sleep thinking that something must have kept him and that certainly, he would find him there when he woke, his cheerful smile welcoming the day on the doorstep of the hut. But the next morning the hut was empty too.

Kyungsoo waited on the hill below the peach tree all day, straining his senses for any sign of his master. He forgot the breeze and the feeling of sunshine on his skin, too wrapped up in worry. When night came and Chen hadn't returned, he made a decision.

If the master did not return in the night, then he would set out to find him.

 

Upon waking at dawn and finding the hut empty, Kyungsoo grabbed his staff and some food in a bag, setting off up the mountain in the direction that he had seen Chen leave two days ago. He felt reasonably confident in his own ability to survive the mountains, especially since he now had some mastery over the elements to help him. The thought of transforming into a hawk to better search the mountains had come to him, but he had dismissed it. In that form he would not be able to carry his staff, and he would need it if his suspicions that Chen had been captured by demons was confirmed. He would also be better able to track him on foot.

 

The master's trail wound its way clearly up the slope. As he walked, Kyungsoo squared his shoulders for courage and strained his senses so that nothing would miss his notice.

He'd been walking for about five hours when the few signs of Chen's passing through disappeared completely. He immediately turned back, trying to spot the exact moment of their disappearance. There seemed to be, some yards back in the road, a tiny path curving off into the mountains, its entrance so well hidden that he had missed it on his way up. There were no footprints here, but the path soon became stone, and his curiosity pushed him forward. He grasped his staff as he walked, wary of the many bends and what might be lurking behind them.

But the path went on with no sign of anyone until he reached a fork and paused again, trying to decide which way to go. The left branch sloped slightly down, and this contributed to his decision. After all, he'd been walking for hours. Going down for some time would be a nice change.

He had barely started down this path when he heard a faint noise. It sounded like someone humming lightly, a happy little tune that he was certain he had heard before, although he couldn't quite place where. He went over the trigrams he knew in his mind, so that their elements might be summoned quickly if they were needed. The mastery of lightning still eluded him, so that he hadn't quite yet acquired the power to summon a bolt in an instant, and he settled on fire as his main defence.

 

When he turned a corner in the path and found a small clearing in the rocks, nestled against the mountain and with a bed of soft grass, he stopped in surprise. He could still hear the humming, and he was certain that it came from this place, but there was no one to be seen.

 

"Hello !" Called a friendly voice exactly as he looked around the clearing, causing him to jump back and raise his staff.

 

"No need for your staff ! I'm stuck under the mountain - over here ? No, lower.. a little lower still. Okay now to your left - ah no, wait, your right, my left - sorry. Yes, that's right. Okay, no !" The voice took on an exasperated tone as Kyungsoo examined the right-most corner of the clearing. "Too far right. Near the bottom ?"

 

The monk followed the instructions he was receiving carefully, and soon the voice stopped giving them. He was staring at a pile of rocks.

 

"Alright, nice to meet you !"

 

"Uh... I still can't see you."

 

Just then, something wiggled in the pile and he realized that what he had thought was an oddly shaped rock was in fact a humanoid monkey's head. The monkey gave him a toothy grin.

 

"There ya go, see me now ? Damn, you humans are not the most observant."

 

The monkey looked like he was being literally crushed by the mountain. Kyungsoo frowned in concern. "Are you... okay ?"

 

"Sure, these rocks are set up just so that I can't move - they're not crushing me or anything. They didn't put me here to kill me, just punish me for a while."

 

"Punish you ?"

 

"Yeah, I'm supposed to spend five hundred years like this. Sucks, huh ?" The monkey's cheerful voice and attitude of near-constant smiling contradicted his words somewhat, and Kyungsoo felt himself grow interested in spite of himself. He knelt down by the pile of rocks so that he was level with the monkey.

 

"That seems a little harsh. What did you do ?"

 

"Oh, you know. Little bit of this, little bit of that. I might have drunk all of Lao-Tzu's elixir of immortality - tasted like shit, too. I'm Baekhyun, by the way. What's your name ?"

 

"I'm Kyungsoo," he replied, a little nonplussed. "So you're immortal ?"

 

"Well, I already was before, so like - double immortal. Actually, triple immortal, cause I ate all those peaches too !"

 

"Peaches ?"

 

"Yeah, there's a garden full of heavenly peaches and I got bored one day and ate them all. They grant you immortality as well. Oh ! And so does heaven's booze, which I drank all of, haha. So I'm like quadruple-immortal. That was a fun party ! What about you ?"

 

"What about me ?" Inquired the monk.

 

"Well, are you immortal too, or are you just some human ?"

 

"I.. I guess I'm just some human."

 

"That sucks."

 

"Well, I -"

 

"So what are you doing around here ? I hardly ever get visitors. 'Course, Chen always comes to say hi, but .."

 

"You know Chen ?!" All of Kyungsoo's concern returned to him. This was a better clue to his master's whereabouts than he'd found up until then.

 

"Of course I know Chen. He's the guy who taught me Daoism in the first place. He lives nearby, too."

 

"I know ! I'm training with him now."

 

"Oh !" Exclaimed the monkey, a spark of recognition in his eye. "So you're the one he keeps talking about. He's never mentioned you by name yet, but I see now what he meant."

 

Now Kyungsoo's curiosity would no longer be restrained. Chen had been talking about him ? His heart beat faster as he asked, "What did he say ?"

 

"Said you were a little shit," declared Baekhyun with what had to be a shrug, although his shoulders were for the most part buried in the pile of rocks.

 

A bucket of ice-cold creek water seemed to empty over Kyungsoo's head, crushing his insides, but even as the dread weighed down his stomach so that it felt like it would fall out, the monkey started laughing.

 

"I'm kidding. He actually doesn't say much other than 'my pupil did this or that', but his eyes always shine when he does. It seems like he likes you a lot."

 

Kyungsoo felt himself warm over with delight, and the odd succession of intense emotion made him forget the entire reason he was here in the first place. After a silence during which the monkey appeared to watching him closely, he suddenly remembered.

 

"When was the last time you saw him ?" He asked urgently.

 

"Two days ago. Usually he comes by every three days, so I thought you might be him when I heard you coming. You humans are so loud. Even Chen, who's technically immortal, he can't seem to stop himself from making all this noise when he walks -"

 

"Wait, what ?"

 

"Yeah, he makes a ton of noise. Not as much as you, but I can still hear him coming from like -"

 

"No, no, before that. He's immortal ?"

 

"Of course. Oh yeah, that's right ! He actually taught me the first way to immortality, when I was training with him. Forgot about that. Guess I'm quintuply immortal !"

 

Kyungsoo fell back down into the grass in disbelief, as the monkey prattled on. "Oh you know, there was another one now that I think about it some more ! I scribbled my name out of the ledgers of the dead, so the underworld guys never get to come and fetch me. So I guess I'm like... sixtuply immortal ? That sounds wrong. Well let's just say I'm pretty damn hard to kill," he ended with a return of his toothy grin.

 

"But..," whispered the monk as his reeling mind tried to make sense of Baekhyun's words. "But how old is he ?"

 

"Uh, let's see. At least 800, I think. Actually no - he had an 860th birthday party with Jongin when I was still training with him, and that was years and years ago. He must be over 1000 by now." He paused, then added with a rueful laugh, "Time sure flies by when you're stuck under a mountain !"

 

"One.. one thousand years old ?"

 

"Yeah, well, you can't master Daoism in a day, can you ?"

 

"But he looks so young.."

 

"Yeah, Daoism will do that to you," answered Baekhyun with another attempt at a shrug. "But I'm sure he'll tell you all about that soon. You've only mastered four trigrams right ? He was really proud of that fact, when you've only been with him for, like, a few months. He only broached the subject with _me_ after I mastered all eight. Don't worry about it."

 

Kyungsoo remained sitting on the ground where he had fallen, still trying to wrap his brain around this new information. It seemed impossible that he'd never actually asked about this, although he'd wondered at Chen's youthful appearance before. Not thinking to look further, he had taken him as he was and accepted all the oddities about the master. To have him be 1000 years old made so much sense, especially since he was well known at the monastery, although very few monks were ever deemed worthy of going to him.

And yet, while his brain appreciated this logical explanation to his stranger aspects, he felt a hollowness grow in him. The master felt more remote and inaccessible than he ever had before. A rush of shame came to him as he remembered the day when he had pulled him into his arms. It had felt natural then, but how could he show such disrespect to an immortal, 1000 year old being ?

 

Baekhyun's voice cut through his thoughts. "You okay, kid ?"

 

"Yeah.. yeah I'm... I guess. So you.. you have no idea where he went after seeing you ?" Kyungsoo straightened his shoulders and breathed in deeply, trying to bring his focus back to the mission at hand. "He hasn't come back in three days and I'm a little worried." As he said this, he realized how pointless it was to be worried about an immortal sage and the hollowness within him grew heavier.

 

"No, I don't know, sorry. But I can tell where he usually goes after he visits me."

 

"Alright, that's better than what I was doing - just wandering through the mountain like an idiot novice -"

 

The monkey eyed him curiously but chose not to comment. "He goes down the other side to check that those demon brothers - I forget their names - are behaving. He's only been doing that a few months.. hey, since you arrived in fact !"

 

Kyungsoo rose unsteadily, and grasped his staff. The thought of seeing the demon brothers again was not one he relished, but he had to make sure that his master had not been captured.

 

"And he goes to see Jongin now and then, too. You're probably better off visiting him first, actually. He lives over on that mountain across the way, but he's much nicer than the demon brothers. They come around sometimes and stuff cucumbers in my mouth. I hate it but it's not like I can really fight back. Oh, are you going ?"

 

"Yeah, sorry.. I have to make sure.. make sure he's okay."

 

"That's probably a good idea. Those brothers have it out for him. They'd love to string him up in their cave. Well, come back and visit me if you don't die, okay ? It gets lonely here. Still 300 years to go, haha. Bye bye now !"

 

Baekhyun's greeting rang out as Kyungsoo left the clearing, waving back at him. He headed up the path until he reached the main road, and then walked off in the direction of the demon brothers' cave, such as he remembered it. The monkey's advice to seek out the mysterious Jongin was completely disregarded. He pushed on into the deepening darkness, determined to find his master no matter the cost. Questions of immortality would have to wait until they were both safely back under the peach tree.

 

 

**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should I have researched my magical system for the previous chapter ? Yeah, probably. Oh well ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
>  
> 
> I'm glad I finally managed to get Baekhyun as Sun Wu Kong the mischievous Monkey King in there. I just love him. Endless Baekhyun softness is my aesthetic <3


	9. The Cave Demon

 

**

 

 

It soon became evident to Kyungsoo what had happened to Chen. As he made his way down the mountain's other side toward the place where he had been capture, he scanned the path for any signs of a struggle, soon finding them in an outcropping of rocks right next to the path. The mountain face was scarred by deep gashes and the occasional scorch marks, the remnants of a bitter fight. How they could have captured the master when he had unleashed such power was beyond Kyungsoo ; they must be stronger still than he had been led to believe.

 

This realization led him to the certainty that he wouldn't be able to conduct a rescue operation on his own, and as more intelligence would be necessary to convince anyone else to help him, he hid staff behind some rocks, marking them with the trigram Zhen, which stood for thunder and seemed to be a particular favourite of Chen's, before turning himself into a dragonfly and searching for the demon cave's entrance.

 

He found it easily enough from the air, hidden as it was in the mountain's side. The winding path he had followed there was obvious when seen from above, although it had felt like a labyrinth. He flew delicately down to the top of a boulder right opposite from the opening in the rock and settled himself to wait.

 

There was little movement that night, leaving him to wonder if he was mistaken. He remembered little about the entrance, having been knocked out on his way in, and rushed through on his way out. But doubt was washed away in the earliest hours of the morning, when the moon had disappeared and everything was darkest, and a monstrous tiger demon appeared in the cave's mouth, settling himself down cross-legged, with an expectant look at the path. Kyungsoo instantly recognized him for one of the silhouettes he had seen moving around the demon's lair, and he didn't have to wait much longer to recognize another person.

 

He was wondering what the tiger might be waiting for, when appeared in the clearing the very pig demon he had escaped months ago, carrying a beautifully ornate lantern. He was wearing his human shape, and Kyungsoo was once again struck by his handsome face and demeanour.

 

"Hello," called the pig pleasantly, stopping a few feet from the tiger, who stood slowly and straightened to his full height.

 

"What are you doing ?" He growled back.

 

"What do you mean ? I've been invited."

 

The tiger gestured at him. "I mean, what are you doing in this ridiculous human form."

 

"Ah !" said Minseok, looking down at himself with a smile. "Well, I thought to myself that such an occasion as a feast generally requires one's best appearance, doesn't it ? Chen would be hurt if I showed up to eat him as a simple pig. Dressing well is a sign of respect." He paused for a second, looked the other up and down, and added, "You might want to change."

 

The tiger rolled his eyes but didn't bother giving an answer, beckoning him to follow as they disappeared in the cave's mouth.

 

Kyungsoo on his boulder was reeling from the information he had just received. He was now certain of his master's fate, and it was grim. He would have very little time to get any help at all if guests were arriving to the feast. Perhaps Chen was being cooked this very minute ! In a panic, he flew up from the boulder and instinctively made his way back to Baekhyun, who was sleeping peacefully.

He hadn't even landed that he turned back to his human form, and having misjudged distance, fell rather heavily with a loud yell. This woke the monkey.

 

"Kyungsoo ?" He yawned.

 

"They're going to eat him !"

 

"What ?"

 

"Chen ! The master ! They're going to eat him - the demons are having a feast - the pig demon just arrived - they're probably cooking him up right now !"

 

"Oh." Baekhyun was silent for a second, but he quickly rallied his wits. "Okay, so they're not going to cook him right away because they like to watch people suffer, so the guests get to watch too, okay ? So calm down, you have a little time. Breathe."

 

Kyungsoo did as he was bid, his body kicking him into a meditative state that soothed his panic somewhat. It was however soon replaced by despair.

 

"But what'll I do ? I can never beat them on my own, I haven't finished my training."

 

"You need to know their weakness."

 

"They don't have any ! The monastery had lists of demons and their weaknesses but there was nothing for Sehun.."

 

"There is, it's just that nobody knows about this." He paused for effect, before revealing simply : "His weakness is Jongin."

 

"Jongin ?"

 

"He's an immortal who lives over on that mountain. He'll tell you more if he decides he trusts you - say I sent you, that might help. But if anyone can beat Sehun, he can."

 

Kyungsoo rose unsteadily and looked across the way at the mountain Baekhyun had indicated.

 

"Look for the sign of the forty-sixth hexagram etched onto a completely smooth boulder, about halfway up."

 

"Hexagram ?"

 

"Ah - right. Xun and Kun combined together into a new mark. It represents ascending, pushing upward. It's Jongin's mark."

 

This new information pierced through the haze of worry to Kyungsoo's brain. "You can combine trigrams ?"

 

"You'll learn about that later ! Hurry, go find Jongin. Chen needs you."

 

With this encouragement from the monkey king, Kyungsoo reverted to a winged form, this time a hawk, to reach the immortal Jongin as soon as possible. He flew as fast as he could across the valley, the thought of Chen's fate on his mind as he went and scanned the mountainside below him for the hexagram. To his relief, it was evident, exactly halfway up on a boulder so round and smooth that it caught the light of the rising sun and refracted it right into his eyes. He flew down and alighted before turning back to his human form, and immediately beginning to shout the mysterious name in various directions.

 

"Jongin ! Jongin ! Help - Baekhyun sends me !"

 

There came no answer, and the feeling of dread inside him grew, pushing him to run about the boulder with no clear idea of where to go, shouting all the time.

Just as he collapsed panting on the ground, tears forming in his eyes as he thought of Chen's imminent death and his own incapacity to save him, the air in front of him began to shimmer, solidifying into the form of a beautiful young man. His skin shone golden in the morning light, and the glow reached his eyes to make them a luminous green. Kyungsoo was reminded of the Morning Star, yet there was something different about this being. There was something wilder about him, a streak of determination in the set of his mouth and his sharp jawline, and his frown was most unlike the frequent smiles he had received from Yixing. When he spoke his voice was soft and light, betraying the menace in his words.

 

"You are being very loud on my mountain, this fine morning."

 

"I'm sorry - It's Chen -" Kyungsoo panted, doing his best to relate the recent events clearly. He had barely uttered this name when the other's frown morphed from annoyance to worry.

 

"Chen ? What about him ?"

 

"Demons - they're eating him - Sehun's there -"

 

As soon as he said this, the worried expression turned steely.

 

"Sehun ?" He whispered. "I'll deal with this."

 

He whirled around, allowing Kyungsoo to notice the two long swords strapped to his back. Their blades were engraved with lotus flowers, but the monk barely had time to study them before Jongin turned back to him, as though just now remembering his existence, and extended a hand.

 

"Get up. We need to go now."

 

Hauling himself up, he grasped the offered hand. This time, he felt the shimmer before he saw it in the air, and even as he gasped, their surroundings sharpened. They were in the clearing at the demon cave's mouth. Here Jongin let go of him and called out.

 

"Sehun ! Come out !"

 

For a second nothing happened, then the demon Sehun appeared before them, still half-shadowed by the cave entrance. He stood languidly looking at the two challengers, a half-smile on his lips.

 

"Hello, my love," he said after a short silence.

 

Jongin straightened. "You can call me that no longer."

 

"Why ? ' _You are mine and I am yours'_.. isn't that what you told me ?" The bitterness was evident in the demon's tone.

 

This silenced the immortal, and sensing his confusion Sehun pressed on.

 

"You said many pretty things to me. Did you mean a single one ?"

 

"Did they mean anything to you ?" Retaliated Jongin. "You were quick to break your oath."

 

"You broke first," whispered Sehun, the pain in his eyes growing deeper still. "Why are you here, my love ? Did you come for the wise one ?"

 

Jongin nodded, and the demon's smirk returned.

 

"You're too late. He is eaten already."

 

"NO !" Shouted Kyungsoo, launching himself upon him. He had no staff, no weapon of any kind, nothing but his rage to inflict on the murderer. He made it barely a yard forward when he felt himself being pulled back by an invisible force that anchored him firmly to the ground.

 

"You lie," said Jongin softly, paying no attention to the monk. "I can see it in your eyes."

 

"Can you read my eyes yet, my love ? Haven't you forgotten by now ?"

 

Jongin's voice broke as he answered, "I will never forget. I _can_ never forget."

 

Tears gleamed in Sehun's eyes, even as he raised the cruel curved blade and threw forth his challenge. "If you want him, you must go through me."

 

In an instant Jongin was upon him with his own two swords, raining a flurry of blows on his opponent with such force that Kyungsoo was amazed at Sehun's ease in parrying. The demon's movements were so fluid that they could barely be seen, and a rush of wind lifted him off the ground to tower over Jongin. But the immortal followed easily, and soon the fight was being waged in mid air. It was combat like Kyungsoo had never seen it before, like had only imagined in his idle moments at the monastery. Each seemed to predict the other's next movements and meet or avoid the blows before they fell.

 

Now Kyungsoo's invisible bonds disappeared, both men's focus being completely on each other. As soon as he realized he could move, he tore himself away from the fascinatingly violent fight and, transforming back to a dragonfly, flew straight into the demons' cave. He made it to the central cavern easily enough, going unnoticed by everyone, where he was relieved to find that no food had yet been eaten and that Chen was nowhere to be seen. Gathering his courage, he flew over the crowd of assembled demons, who were busily engaged in drinking gallons upon gallons of wine, and down the first tunnel to his right. He had no way of knowing where his master might be imprisoned and hoped only that the cave would not prove too big or labyrinthine.

 

The first tunnel he tried proved to end shortly in a cul-de-sac, and it was only in the fifth, despair creeping back into his heart, that he finally found a heavy iron door with a tiny window that allowed him to see the prone figure of his master. He squeezed through the cracks and once in the cell, turned back to his human form. He kneeled by the prisoner to take him gently in his arms.

 

"Master !" he whispered. Chen's head raised slowly. He was bruised and bloodied, but a spark seemed to light in his eye when he saw his apprentice. A tired smile spread on his features, and he rested his head against the monk's chest, answering in a feeble voice :

 

"Kyungsoo ! You found me ! How did you get in ?"

 

"Jongin is fighting Sehun outside. I slipped in thanks to the distraction, but we have to go now. I don't know what's happening out there."

 

"You have to.. get these chains off. They're magic, I can't - I can't transform out of them."

 

"How do I get them off ?"

 

"You'll need.. the fan. Tao's hand fan. He keeps it.."

 

But even as the master said this, Kyungsoo's mind flashed to the beautifully ornate fan he had glimpsed in one of the rooms as he explored the cave.

 

"I'll be right back," he replied, returning to his dragonfly form and heading straight for the room in question. He found it easily enough, and he was fortunate as he crept back through the tunnels in his human form that all the demons were so occupied by the feast and the alcohol that everything but the main hall was deserted. He made it back to the prison safely, slipped the fan in through the window and followed swiftly in his dragonfly form.

 

"What do I do now ?"

 

"Slice these chains with the fan," directed the master. Kyungsoo followed his orders without questions, and soon Chen was free.

 

"I think this fan isn't in very good hands here. Such an artefact should be looked after better," he declared lightly as he tucked it into his belt. The air of fatigue on his features was replaced by one of purpose as he strode to the door and, laying one hand on it, disintegrated it.

 

"Now let's go and thank my hosts for the stay," he continued, walking up the tunnel with Kyungsoo right behind him.

 

No one noticed them when they entered the main cavern, and Chen used the demons' distraction to summon all his power. He rose into the air, hovering above the crowd, and called in a booming voice that sent the startled crowd into a panic :

 

"Suffer the consequences of capturing the Master on the Mountain !"

 

The energy that he gathered into the fan was released in a sweeping gesture. The wave knocked everything over in its wake, decapitating the lesser demons while the more powerful ones fell as though they had been struck over the head. There remained only one, cowering in the crowd.

 

"Please," he cried, "Please !"

 

Chen floated down to him, and Kyungsoo recognize the pointy-faced Tao.

 

"By the power of the Jade Emperor, I put a lock on your powers for the next five hundred years. You will go as a human and learn the error of your ways, demon."

 

And with a final knock of the fan to the demon's head, putting him out like a light, Chen floated down to the ground before Kyungsoo. The aura of power around him dissipated, and there remained only his usual smile. He offered his hand and said simply,

 

"Shall we go ?"

 

 

 

**

 

 

 

Laboured breathing sounded in the clearing.

 

"Take me.. take me up.. Don't let me die down here, my love. Let me see the sky."

 

In silence, Jongin bent down and lifted Sehun's body into his arms as though it weighed nothing. The air shimmered around them and soon they were on the mountaintop. The immortal laid his lover down in the coarse bed of grass and knelt beside him.

 

"No.. no tears for me, my love ?" Whispered the demon.

 

"I have given them all to you already," he replied simply.

 

"Hold my hand as I go."

 

Jongin reached for Sehun's hand and intertwined their fingers.

 

"It was a good fight," he said after a while. "You've gotten better. I can't grudge you this victory."

 

"Shut up," was the only answer he received as Jongin's hand squeezed his tighter. He smiled at the sight of tears in his eyes.

 

"You're crying."

 

"Shut up."

 

"You'll miss me."

 

"Shut up."

 

".. Goodbye my love."

 

When Jongin turned back to the silent mountaintop, he was greeted by emptiness and a faint breeze that rustled the grass mockingly. The shape of Sehun's body was still visible on the ground and he stared at it for a long time before rising and vanishing, a trail of tears steadily flowing down his face.

 

 

**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Not beta read]
> 
> Sometimes everything is sunshine and daisies, and sometimes you have to have Sekai murder each other in a bloody duel. What can I say...


	10. The White Flower

 

**

 

 

 

The master slept for a long time when they returned to the hut below the peach tree. Kyungsoo brought him water from the stream every now and then, and he drank deeply before turning and going back to sleep. The full unleashing of his powers seemed to have taken a toll on him, and the apprentice moved around him as quietly as he could, wondering if he should call for help.

He was pondering that option one afternoon as he sat under the blossoms, gazing into the distance, when he saw a shape materialize on the other side of the stream. The mist solidified into a golden young man whom he recognized as Jongin. As soon as he was corporeal, the immortal hopped over the stream in one light, graceful movement, and came to stand before the monk with a serious face.

 

"Hello," he said simply.

 

Kyungsoo rose to stand between Jongin and the hut. Although the violence in his demeanour seemed to have been replaced with a deep sadness, the monk still hadn't forgotten the fury and the wildness about him. His first instinct was to protect his sleeping master, and although he remained casual, his senses sharpened, ready to detect the slightest threat.

 

"Hello," was his careful reply.

 

"So you're the new apprentice," smiled Jongin after a short silence.

 

He nodded slowly. "I am. My master is sleeping right now."

 

"That's alright. I'm happy to speak to you. I've heard a lot about you."

 

The golden immortal sat down cross-legged and gestured for Kyungsoo to join him.

 

"What have you heard ?" He asked as he lowered himself slowly.

 

There was a new silence as Jongin pondered what to answer. At length, he replied : "You're mastering the trigrams very quickly. But you aren't impatient. I think Chen likes this. He has no time for people who cannot wait."

 

"Baekhyun said -" Started Kyungsoo, but he was immediately interrupted by a short laugh.

 

"So you've met the Monkey King ! And how did you like him ?"

 

This question took him by surprise. "I.. He doesn't act like I expected immortals to."

 

"What do you mean ?"

 

"Well... He doesn't seem like a wise being. He talks a lot."

 

This made Jongin laugh again, and the sound was so warm and pleasant that Kyungsoo was reminded of a summer's afternoon. In spite of himself, he felt the tension slip away and he smiled at the immortal.

 

"Wisdom comes in many different shapes and sizes, monk."

 

"How did your fight go ?" Asked Kyungsoo after another silence. To his surprise, the other's face darkened. He'd been expecting to hear about a triumphant victory over the demon, but he found instead that the sadness returned to Jongin's eyes.

 

"As it usually does," he replied shortly, and took a deep breath before adding, "Sehun and I have killed each other countless times before."

 

"But aren't you.. immortal ?"

 

"You'll have to ask your master, monk. He's seen our story unfold over and over again. He knows it well, and I don't think that I can speak of my pain much longer."

 

Kyungsoo was processing the meaning of this odd declaration, when Jongin rose with a sad smile, saying simply :

 

"I came to say goodbye to your master, but it seems he isn't going to wake up for another couple of days."

 

"Can't you wait ?"

 

"No. I have only a few moments left. I was glad to meet you, Kyungsoo."

 

As he spoke, the northern wind rose and came to play around them, tugging at the immortal's long golden hair. The petals of the peach blossoms whirled around them and the monk had the odd impression that Jongin's figure was becoming blurred at the edges, as though the wind were slowly disintegrating his being. Looking towards the wind, he smiled softly.

 

"It's time. Tell him I came," he whispered, his eyes returning to meet Kyungsoo's with an odd shine to them.

 

Before he could think to ask for details, a savage gust of wind came upon the hill, forcing him to close his eyes. When he opened them again, Jongin was gone. There remained only the two swords on the grass, below the peach tree, so he gathered them up and brought them to the hut.

 

Jongin's prediction that the master wouldn't wake for two more days soothed Kyungsoo's worries, and it turned out exactly right. On the morning of the second day following their encounter, Chen woke and rose to find his pupil sitting under the peach tree, deep in meditation. Sensing his presence, the monk surfaced and met him with a smile.

 

"Master -" he said slowly. Words always took a moment to return to him.

 

Chen sat beside him. His movements were still stiff, but he wore a similar smile to Kyungsoo's.

 

"You did very well," he said after a short silence.

 

"Master, how did they capture you ?"

 

"They caught me by surprise. I was thinking of something else."

 

It seemed rude to ask what a thousand year old wise being might have been distracted by, so Kyungsoo remained silent, until Chen turned to him with a twinkle in his eye.

 

"Aren't you going to ask me what I was thinking of ?"

 

"What were you thinking of ?" Asked the monk meekly.

 

Without a word, the master reached into his tunic and withdrew a tiny white flower, which he handed to Kyungsoo. The monk took it, and peered closely at it.

 

"Is this a new lesson, master ?"

 

"No. I thought you would find it pretty, and I wanted you to have it."

 

Kyungsoo blushed, and before he could say anything more than a shy "Thank you," Chen had reached over to tuck the tiny flower behind his ear. The delicate touch of his hand quickened the monk's heartbeat. He had to turn away to collect himself, before he remembered that he had a message to give.

 

"Jongin came while you were sleeping."

 

A sad look came over Chen's face. "Is he gone again ?"

 

"Yes. He wanted to say goodbye to you."

 

"I saw his swords in the hut, but I still hoped," he replied with a nod. "So Sehun is dead again.."

 

"He.. he said that I should ask you to tell me their story. He said you've seen it happen before."

 

The master sighed, "Very well," and after another short silence to gather his thoughts, he began to speak in a low, sad voice.

 

 

*

 

 

_The tale of Jongin and Sehun_

 

 

A long time ago, there lived in these very mountains a noble lord and his wife. Their only son was a beautiful young man and everyone was in love with him, but he had no time for love. He spent most of his time with his best friend, a servant's son as beautiful as he was. Together they went everywhere, and they never left each other's side. As they grew they only became closer, even sleeping intertwined in the same bed.

The young man's parents tolerated this when they were children, but as they both reached adulthood, they decided it was time for him to marry and that this would never happen if his friend was always by his side. So they sent the servant boy to be trained in the art of war, hoping he would disappear from their son's life forever. But the two young men made a promise to each other, that they would always return to each other somehow, and they would stay faithful to their love. For their deep friendship had blossomed into a love as beautiful as they were. They promised that nothing would part them for more than a short while, and they sealed their oath with a kiss, under an apple tree in bloom.

The servant boy left the next morning, and Sehun remained by himself to deal with his parents' growing insistence that he take a bride. He used every stratagem he could think of to avoid this unwanted wedding while he waited for his lover's return. But six years passed and there was no sign of Jongin. One day, news came that he had been killed in battle. Sehun was devastated, and his parents took advantage of his deep sorrow to bethroth him to a noble young woman. He had no strength left to fight it, and the day of their union fast approached.

But Jongin was not dead. He returned to the house on their wedding day, weary from a long war. He had made good friends, and lost them in the fighting, and his very heart was sore. To see Sehun and feel his love surrounding him was the only remedy he wanted. Instead he was greeted by the sight of his lover in wedding attire, joining hands with someone else below their apple tree. He did not see the heavily armed guards surrounding them to make sure that Sehun would not try to run, nor did he see the pain on his face. 

He became enraged and threw himself, sword out, onto his lover, killing him with a swift blow. Next he turned on the bride, who screamed and pleaded for her life even as Jongin ran her through with his blade. He laid waste to the wedding, killing as many as he could until an arrow pierced him through the heart.

 

To his surprise, he found himself not in the underworld, but before the court of heaven. They had heard the innocent girl's scream, and the moon goddess, protector of maidens, deemed that death itself was not enough punish Jongin. She swayed the jury, and cursed both he and Sehun to reincarnation. They must relive their pain over and over again, in each life knowing only a short bliss together before they are separated, and ultimately pushed to kill each other. Sometimes Sehun kills Jongin, and sometimes it's the other way around, but neither survives for very long after the other's death.

They can never be together, yet they cannot live apart, and they are not allowed the peace of death. That is the punishment for their crimes.

 

 

*

 

 

There was silence under the peach tree when Chen finished this bleak story. A few tears gleamed in his eyes, and when he spoke again, his voice was pained.

 

"I have seen them go through this cycle five times now. I can only pray that soon the court of heaven relents."

 

Kyungsoo nodded. His heart went out to Jongin, and even Sehun.

 

"Love can be a destructive force, Kyungsoo. Immortals usually avoid it for this reason."

 

"But master," he replied softly after a beat of silence. "It seems like love is only destructive if we try to control it. Had the parents not tried to separate them, nothing would have happened."

 

"That can never be known," was Chen's only reply. He seemed troubled.

 

"Master.. Are immortals afraid to love ?"

 

The master gazed into the distance to gather his thoughts before answering. "To put.. to put so much importance on one being is dangerous, when one never dies. I see patterns come and go, and I cannot influence them."

 

"But you taught Baekhyun to be immortal."

 

"Yes."

 

"Will you teach me ?"

 

".. Yes," he said simply.

 

An odd courage came over Kyungsoo, and he spoke the question that had been in the back of his mind since he had learned of his master's age.

 

"And when I am immortal, and an equal to you.. will you love me then ?"

 

Chen's breath stilled, a deafening silence settling over them as the valley itself seemed to freeze. Kyungsoo felt the weight of the moment, but he wasn't afraid, and as quickly as it had come, the tension broke ; everything returned to normal and the master gave him a smile, answering simply :

 

"As I do now, Kyungsoo."

 

 

 

**

 


	11. The Cherry Tree

 

**

 

 

Many lifetimes of men Kyungsoo walked the earth, the sun following in his footsteps as he went ever on and on. To become immortal was a long and perilous journey, and he had left with bitter sadness at the thought of potential failure, which would mean never seeing Chen again.

 

Their separation had come soon after he mastered the art of the Hexagrams, when the master had sealed his training with a kiss.

 

"I have taught you all I can, Kyungsoo," he had smiled, "but there's still much to be learned."

 

The monk knew this. The art of Names, for one, still eluded him. He had become good enough to know the true name of most beings, but that of the master remained hidden to him. Chen smiled softly, easily guessing where the other's thoughts had strayed.

 

"You'll know my name one day."

 

A sudden desperate yearning filled the monk as he asked quietly, "Must I really leave you, master ?"

 

"I can tell you how to reach immortality, but I can't do it for you. This is a path that you'll have to follow alone."

 

Kyungsoo bowed his head. "Tell me what I must do."

 

The Master on the mountain had spoken softly, every word falling into Kyungsoo's ear like a precious pearl, and they had stayed in his heart all the long years of his perilous travels.

They were in his heart still as he passed by the familiar stone wall of the monastery. It hadn't changed in the centuries of his absence. He resisted the pull to walk in and enquire after those who had once been his friends, knowing they would be long dead. He had had several companions as he had walked the Earth, passing and temporary friendships, although he had been with some for years before their deaths.

Every loss had made a new scar on his heart, and sometimes he thought back to the time he had glimpsed Chen's deep sadness.

 

"To live eternally you will give up many things, young pupil," the master had once said. Though Kyungsoo had anticipated what this might mean, nothing could have prepared him for the depth of feeling and pain he gained. And yet despite the sorrow of each new loss he could never close his heart off, for to close his heart would mean to lose Chen. So he endured, and resisted the temptation of numbness.

 

He walked carefully through the honour field, where they erected tributes to those who had brought fame to the monastery, until he found the one he was looking for. Many had engravings depicting handsome faces, but in the furthest corner he found a simple stone upon which there was just one name : "YIFAN". 

He sat next to this stone for a little while, reaching out into the cosmos to try and find the traces of his lover's existence. There were none. It had been so long ago now that the karmic cycle had been reset.

 

Kyungsoo rose with a sigh and headed towards the low bamboo fence. Soon he was in the foothills, climbing a familiar path. He had not walked it in centuries, but he remembered every detail of his journey up. By the outcropping of rocks where he had met Suho, he stopped for a while to remember the River Spirit. What had become of him, he wondered ? Had the revelation of his name changed anything ?

He bent to breach the surface of the current, but nothing happened.

 

"I have been gone too long," he whispered to himself.

 

A sudden vision took him of the ever-blooming peach tree dead, its branches bare and its trunk withered as winter settled over the blessed valley. What if the demons had returned ? What if he had really been gone too long, even for the immortal master on the mountain ?

 

He rose and resumed, pace quickening as he sped through the familiar landscape. Since he no longer felt fatigue, he kept walking even when the moon rose, relishing the shadows it cast on everything.

 

"You will come to cherish darkness," the master had told him. "When you live long, bright light can be painful at times."

  

And though he would not call the warmth of the sun painful yet, he did find himself breathing long relieved sighs as he walked through the night. The harshness of reality was lessened in the darkness. It soothed his brain and eyes to see less.

By morning he had come to a very well known mountain. There he had left Chanyeol, of whom there was no trace either, and there he had met the demon brothers. He walked up unhindered by them, until he came to a bend in the path.

 

There he found someone waiting for him, seated on a rock and playing with the border of his blue silk hanfu.

 

"Hello," said the handsome young man, sparkling eyes only half hiding the mischief that danced in their depths.

 

"Minseok," said Kyungsoo lightly. "It's been a while."

 

"It has. You'll be happy to learn that I've been allowed to return to my human form !"

 

"To be honest, I thought you were dead," he replied. He had not seen Minseok since Chen had laid waste to the demons' feast.

 

"Oh no, I'm tougher than that. Have you come back to see Chen ?"

 

The monk nodded, unwilling to say more. It seemed that words would never be enough to say how much he had missed the master's warm presence.

 

But to his surprise, Minseok sighed and shook his head.

 

"Well, I won't keep you. I think we'd be fairly evenly matched now, anyhow, so I don't mean to fight you.. You might as well go and see for yourself."

 

"What do you mean ?"

 

"No, I won't say anything more." And with another sad sigh, Minseok vanished into thin air.

 

A sense of urgency swept over Kyungsoo and he resumed immediately, barely stopping to consider the demon's words. Every gruesome scenario that passed through his brain seemed increasingly more likely, and he only stopped when he reached the section of the path that overlooked the master's valley. It seemed much as it always had, small and green and full of sunshine. He breathed a sigh of relief. In a few expert leaps down the cliff side, he had reached the valley floor, through which he jogged until he had found the ford in the river, on the other side of which stood the ever-blooming peach tree.

 

He smiled in relief, and in one leap was over the river.

  

"Chen !" He called, unable to stay silent any longer. When he received no answer he rushed to the little hut, which he found to be empty.

 

He had thought of this moment, of his return, of their reunion, for so long that it was impossible for him to process the master's absence. He sank to the floor, tears flowing freely.

 

 

 

 

He had been gone too long.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Kyungsoo ?" The soft voice startled him out of his stupor.

 

 

 

 

 

"Is it really you, Kyungsoo ?"

 

 

 

 

 

And before he could realize what was happening, the warmth of Chen's presence enveloped him. He returned the embrace, burying his face into the master's tunic, and their tears of joy mingled together.

 

 

"Why are you crying ?" The master choked out between sobs.

 

"Minseok... Minseok said.. that you were gone," he replied, unable to stop himself from either crying or smiling.

 

"I'll kick his ass," whispered Chen as he pulled Kyungsoo even closer to himself.

 

"I'll help," and their tears were replaced with laughter.

 

They spent that day and night intertwined on the small bed, breathing each other in and talking over everything that had happened during the long years of Kyungsoo's absence.

 

"How long now ? Is it three centuries ?"

 

"Four," replied the monk with a smile.

 

"Too long," was Chen's answer as he shifted forward and kissed Kyungsoo's lips.

 

In the morning, they rose before the sun and went out to sit below the peach tree in the grey mist of early dawn.

 

"Are you certain you want it here, Kyungsoo ?"

 

He nodded. He'd thought about it ever since he had received the present from the Emperor at the bottom of the Eastern Sea.

 

"Then, when the sun rises, put it in the ground."

 

He nodded again. Though Chen had only told him the path to immortality once, it was engraved in his heart and mind. When the first rays of sunlight crept over the horizon, he rose and pulled from his tunic one tiny seed. With one hand, he dug out a small hole a few feet away from the roots of the peach tree and then, just as the sunlight touched the earth, he tipped the seed in and covered it up.

 

For a second nothing happened.

 

Then, as though reaching for the sun itself, a sprout shot of the ground, growing rapidly to the size of a young sapling and then further to that of a full-grown tree. Its branches uncurled gracefully from the magically risen trunk and one by one, sprouted new smaller branches. When it stopped growing upwards, flowers appeared on every branch, blossoms of delicate pink that intertwined with the white blossoms of the peach tree.

 

"So, yours is a cherry tree ?"

 

"It seems so," said Kyungsoo, reaching up to examine the small fruit that was slowly appearing.

 

Chen's eyes shone as he replied simply, "It's pretty."

 

Kyungsoo's hand found his and they sat back down below the two trees, savouring the happiness of the moment.

 

"Master -" He said all of a sudden.

 

Chen's voice was gentle but firm. "I'm not your master anymore."

 

"But I have one thing still to learn."

 

"What is it ?"

 

Kyungsoo gave him one long look, then with a smiled he asked : "What's your name ?"

 

The master on the mountain's smile returned, growing to a grin as he answered simply :

 

"Jongdae."

 

 

 

**

 

 

 

The End.

 

 

 

**

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this weird little fic I wrote. I hope you liked it ! It still don't know what the heck I was doing, to be honest.
> 
>  
> 
> I think it has a deeper point than ChenSoo softness but I'm not sure what it is yet. I'm going to be rewriting it a little in the future, but not immediately. 
> 
> I have to focus on my other unfinished fics now. 
> 
> At least one of them qualifies as "Oddly Specific AU" like this one. 
> 
>  
> 
> Have a lovely day :)


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